Today’s Zaman , Turkey
March 13 2009

MEPs concerned over closure cases, want reform

The European Parliament (EP) endorsed a resolution yesterday on
Turkey’s process of accession to the European Union, expressing
concern over closure cases launched against two Turkish parties,
including the ruling party, and calling for amendments to relevant
laws to prevent similar cases in the future.

The Constitutional Court narrowly rejected a case filed last year for
closure of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK
Party). Another closure case, filed against the pro-Kurdish Democratic
Society Party (DTP), is still pending in court, and trial proceedings
are expected to speed up after the upcoming local elections on March
29.

The annual resolution of the EP, drafted by Dutch parliamentarian Ria
Oomen-Ruijten and approved by a 528-52 vote in the an assembly
convening in Strasbourg, also called on Turkey to speed up reforms,
lamenting that there has been a slowdown over the last three years in
the reform process. It also called for renewed work on drafting "a new
civilian constitution that would place basic freedoms and human rights
at its core," regretting that earlier efforts to reform the
Constitution resulted in a dispute over the headscarf issue and
generated further polarization in society. The members of the EP
called on the EU to speed up Turkey’s accession negotiations as well,
saying talks should start on those negotiating chapters that are
technically ready for accession talks. Turkey has so far started only
10 of the 35 negotiating chapters with the EU.

In 2008 only four new chapters were opened, of which two were overseen
by the French presidency (free movement of capital and information
society and media). Only one chapter (science and research) has been
concluded since talks began in October 2005.

In its session yesterday, the EP accepted four of 16 amendment
proposals. The amendments include a call for closer consultations with
Turkey in the formulation of European defense policies and a reference
to Ankara’s efforts to create a regional mechanism for consultation in
the south Caucasus towards the resolution of main conflicts. Ankara
proposed the establishment of a stability platform for the Caucasus
after a brief Russian-Georgian war in August over a dispute in the
breakaway region of South Ossetia.

Another key message emerging from the EP resolution is that Turkish
authorities must deepen their ongoing investigation into a shadowy
network called Ergenekon, which is accused of involvement in plans to
stage a violent uprising against the government. The EP’s resolution
"welcomes the beginning of the trial against those accused of being
members of the Ergenekon criminal organization, encourages the
authorities to continue investigations and to fully uncover the
organization’s networks which reach into state structures, is
concerned about reports regarding the treatment of defendants in this
case, urges the Turkish authorities to provide them with a fair trial
and to adhere strictly to the principles of the rule of law."

The MEPs said Turkish authorities should seriously focus on the
Ergenekon network’s probable role in unsolved murders, including the
assassination of Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink in January
2007.

Ergenekon, a neonationalist group, was discovered at the end of an
investigation prompted by discoveries in a police raid in June 2007
when police uncovered an arms depot in a house in Ä°stanbul’s
Ã`mraniye district. The prosecutor in the Ergenekon case has said the
group worked to create disorder and chaos through various violent acts
so that the public would be willing to accept a military intervention
to restore order. The group is suspected of involvement in the murder
of three Christian missionaries in Malatya in 2007; the 2006 murder of
a priest in the northeastern city of Trabzon; the murder of Dink,
editor-in-chief of the bilingual Agos newspaper in 2007; a 2006 attack
on the Council of State; and a grenade attack on the Cumhuriyet daily
in 2006.

The resolution also calls for full civilian supervision of the
military, judiciary reforms and measures to guarantee that members of
the judiciary will abstain from political debate. Turning to the EU,
it urges the union to take steps in easing visa restrictions for
Turkish businessmen, academics and students.

13 March 2009, Friday
TODAY’S ZAMAN Ä°STANBUL