Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-10-06-Speech-3-042"
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"en.19991006.1.3-042"2
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"Mr President, I would like to thank the Members of Parliament for their valuable opinions. I would like to stress that political situations have to be exploited to promote peace, stability and human rights. Now we have this opportunity. The Kosovo crisis gave us a concrete picture of how important it is for us to build cooperation and peace in Europe. That can only happen through commitment to European structures, and we know that Turkey has an important part to play in promoting stability in South-East Europe. The other major event has been the earthquakes in both Turkey and Greece. They have generated a sprit of goodwill between the Greek and Turkish people and laid the groundwork for closer political relations between these countries. We therefore have an opportunity for better cooperation to take the place of estrangement.
I believe that closer cooperation will also aid real development in Turkey. I believe that will mean that, in Turkey, improved human rights, democracy and political climate will be seen as absolutely vital steps to take. I also believe that it will give us the opportunity to make headway on the Cyprus question, as Turkey has an indisputable influence on that issue, and its cooperation will be needed for progress to be made here.
Mr Verheugen of the Commission referred in his speech to Turkey’s possible candidate status. In this regard, it has to be said we still have a lot of work to do before the Helsinki Summit in order to reach a conclusion here. We have work to do in the Union, but it is also important that Turkey gives out positive signals during the whole of this process that the country is on the right track for development and that the position of democracy and human rights in Turkey is being strengthened.
The Copenhagen criteria have been discussed here. Regarding these, it should be stated that they are a condition of the opening of talks. We are now discussing Turkey’s candidate status. If candidate status can be approved, the Copenhagen criteria will be an important path for Turkey to follow for its development, and they will be an ideal vehicle to take that development in the right direction: towards the values that we advocate here.
I would also like to emphasise Turkey’s importance with regard to the stability of the region that surrounds it. I believe that if the Islamic countries see that Turkey’s new road towards Western values offers it greater economic opportunities and better political operating prerequisites, it will serve as an important example to the Islamic countries surrounding it, and it may also in this way have a stabilising influence on developments in Europe’s neighbouring regions.
I value the motion for a resolution proposed here very highly, and I would like to say that I am particularly satisfied that Parliament is promising to act swiftly in matters relating to the Turkish question. Once again I would like to appeal to Parliament that the regulations on funding be dealt with in Parliament as quickly as possible."@en1
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