EUROPEAN COUNCIL GIVES ULTIMATE WARNING TO ANKARA

_and_World_News/13187
December 18, 2008

The General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAEC) of the
European Union adopted its annual conclusions on December 9 regarding
the Enlargement Policy. In these conclusions which insist on the
"fair and rigorous conditionality" and on the "reference criteria"
taking into consideration the "essential issues relating to the Rule
of law and good governance", a whole chapter is dedicated to Turkey.

This chapter is more critical than ever before, and it appears as an
ultimate warning sent to Ankara because of its lack of progress. Thus,
while greeting "the active and constructive role played by Turkey
through its diplomatic initiatives in the South Caucasus and in the
Middle East" and while being satisfied "that a serious political
crisis was able to be averted in the summer 2008", the Council "is
disappointed to note that over the year just passed Turkey has made
only limited progress, particularly as regards political reforms".

According to the Council, "Turkey still have to make substantial
efforts continued judicial reform, establishing an anti-corruption
strategy, effective protection of citizens’ rights, full implementation
of the policy of zero tolerance of torture and ill-treatment, ensuring
freedom of expression and of religion in law and in practice for
all religious communities, respect for property rights, respect for
and protection of minorities and strengthening of cultural rights,
women’s rights, children’s rights and trade union rights, and the
civilian authorities’ control of the military".

"This list of breaches is too long for a State which is in
the negotiating process and which is supposed to have already
fulfilled all of the political criteria" declared Hilda Tchoboian,
the chairperson of the European Armenian Federation. "It betrays
the Council’s opinion, expressed diplomatically, that the Turkish
application is not credible", she continued.

Regarding the Cypriot question and the implicit recognition of Cyprus
through implementation of the Additional Protocol, the Council "regrets
Turkey has not yet fulfilled its obligation of full non-discriminatory
implementation of the Additional Protocol to the Association Agreement
and has not made progress towards normalisation of its relations
with the Republic of Cyprus" and informs Ankara that "progress is
now urgently awaited."

"It is normal that the European Union can no longer tolerate that a
candidate country occupies militarily a Member State and refuses to
recognize it, even implicitly", added Tchoboian.

In addition, regarding the relations with Erevan, the Council
"encourages the incipient rapprochement with Armenia".

"A sincere rapprochement impli es the end of the Turkish blockade of
Armenia and the recognition of the Armenian genocide as demanded by
the Turkish, Armenian and European civil societies" declared Hilda
Tchoboian.