|
EU concerned at lack of progress in Turkey
12.2.2009
|
|
|
|
February 12, 2009
The EU Foreign Affairs Committee is
concerned of
the "continuous slowdown of the reform process" in
Turkey. Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee
adopted on Wednesday the draft for Parliament's
annual resolution on Turkey's progress towards
accession, which was drawn up by Ria Oomen-Ruijten (EPP-ED,
NL).
EU MP Joost Lagendijk called the EU report good, but
said the Cyprus clausule was unbalanced. The report
shows again that Cyprus is a stumbling block in the
EU-Turkey talks. This was also confirmed by the
International Crisis Group who called for more EU
involvement in the Cyprus case.
Democratic reforms do not
go far enough
The EU regrets that freedom of expression and
freedom of the press are still not fully protected
in Turkey and believe the amendment to Article 301
of the Penal Code does not go far enough as people
continue to be prosecuted for expressing non-violent
opinions,www.ekurd.net
one such case being
Leyla Zana. The EU is also worried about the case
against the Kurdish DTP party and urges a change in
the law on political parties.
The draft resolution also calls on the Turkish
government to resume work on a new civilian
constitution and to reduce the number of "honour
killings" of women.
Need for a global
settlement of the Cyprus issue
The resolution stresses the need to reach "a
comprehensive settlement" of the Cyprus question
based on UN Security Council resolutions. Despite
the fact the Greek part of Cyprus vetooed the UN
plan. The EU backs the direct negotiations currently
under way between leaders of the Greek and Turkish
Cypriot communities and urge Turkey to facilitate a
suitable climate for negotiations by withdrawing
Turkish forces.
MEPs deplore the fact that the EC-Turkey customs
union and its additional protocol has not yet been
implemented fully by the Turkish government. They
also point out that the non-fulfilment of Turkey's
commitments by December 2009 will further seriously
affect the process of negotiations.
The non-recognition of Cyprus is blocking the start
of talks on eight economic chapters. In addition,
Turkey is refusing to allow access to its ports and
airports to Cypriot ships and plans.
A lasting settlement of the
Kurdish issue
Ankara must commit itself to a lasting settlement of
the Kurdish issue. This will require better economic
and social integration of citizens of Kurdish
origin,www.ekurd.net
including offering them
real opportunities to learn Kurdish in the public
and private schooling system and to use it in
broadcasting, in daily life and in access to public
services. MEPs welcome the launch of a Kurdish
language television channel on 1 January 2009.
Nabucco, a "European
priority project"
MEPs have been calling for the opening of
negotiations on the energy chapter since October
2007. They are disappointed that no agreement on
this has been reached within the Council.
Cyprus, which is currently prospecting for gas and
oil off its coast, has reservations about the energy
chapter. MEPs call on Turkey to support this
"European priority project".
The Nabucco project has taken on greater importance
since the gas crisis between Ukraine and Russia,
which highlighted the EU's extreme dependence on
Gazprom. The Nabucco pipeline would supply the EU
with gas from the Caspian Sea which would transit
via Turkey, thereby avoiding Russian territory.
Middle East and Caucasus
The committee welcomes Turkey's mediation efforts in
the Middle East and the south Caucasus, notably
following the conflict between Russia and Georgia.
Copyright, respective author or news agency, europarl.europa.eu
| vvanwilgenburg blogspot.com
** Kurds are not recognized as an official minority
in Turkey and are denied rights granted to other
minority groups. Under EU pressure, Turkey recently
granted Kurds limited rights for broadcasts and
education in the Kurdish language, but critics say
the measures do not go far enough.
The use of the term "Kurdistan" is vigorously
rejected due to its alleged political implications
by the Republic of Turkey, which does not recognize
the existence of a "Turkish Kurdistan" Southeast
Turkey.
Others estimate over 40 million Kurds live in Big
Kurdistan (Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Armenia),
which covers an area as big as France, about half of
all Kurds which estimate to 20 million live in
Turkey.
Turkey is home to 25 million ethnic Kurds, a large
Turkey's Kurdish community openly sympathise with
the Kurdish PKK for a Kurdish homeland in the
country's mainly Kurdish southeast of Turkey.
Before August 2002, the Turkish government placed
severe restrictions on the use of Kurdish language,
prohibiting the language in education and broadcast
media. The Kurdish alphabet is still not recognized
in Turkey, and use of the Kurdish letters X, W, Q
which do not exist in the Turkish alphabet has led
to judicial persecution in 2000 and 2003
The Kurdish flag flown officially in Iraqi Kurdistan
but unofficially flown by Kurds in Armenia. The flag
is banned in Iran, Syria, and Turkey where flying it
is a criminal offence"
Southeastern Turkey:
North Kurdistan (
Kurdistan-Turkey)
wikipedia
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the content of news
information on this page
|
®
