Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-10-24-Speech-3-207"
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"en.20011024.9.3-207"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I thank the interpreters for being here in greater numbers than us to translate this very important debate which is being held at such a late hour. Yes, Mr Pasqua, you will have the right to speak. That will be very interesting. It is not late. It is the morning for you. As you know, in any event our political leanings vary from morning till night. So there is no problem.
I would like to say, not to repeat what we have said amongst ourselves since Mr Lamassoure began his report, that it is actually not only a well-packaged report, but also one which rightly says things clearly, being wise and measured. It is also based on a high degree of consensus, since Mr Lamassoure has really tried to bring together all the opinions in this House.
One thing is clear: Turkey is trying to make reforms, Turkey is making efforts, but, nevertheless, things are moving very, very slowly. And things are moving very slowly not out of wickedness but because of the fact that democratic culture, the culture of openness, is not a culture which, in a still very authoritarian society, has been imposed on the behaviour of all parties; on the behaviour of governors, on the behaviour of certain political forces or on the behaviour of the military.
Our role as the European Union is not, therefore, simply to give lessons, but, rather, to accompany Turkey on the journey towards democracy, in other words, to have positions to defend. And that is why I will make a comment, and I would ask all those who still wish to tell Turkey that there was a genocide seventy-five years ago – which is true – in what way does that help the debate in Turkey today? I do not think that that helps it.
So, what we have in today’s resolution, in this report, is the possibility of holding a genuine, heated dialogue with Turkish society, with the Turkish government, on our notion of democracy, on the notion of freedoms, on our notion of the enlargement of Europe, and, therefore, of the place that Cyprus can and must hold within Europe, and the place which Turkey can and should hold in this process.
I think we should be clear, however. This evolution will perhaps be more discouraging at some times than at others. The European Parliament, the societies of the Member States of the European Union, will not show indefinite patience if the situation does not appear to be improving.
I would therefore like to end by appealing to the Turkish parliamentarians up there in the gallery, and say to them that if they really want the Turkey which they love and govern today to join the European Union, they must be aware that the efforts which our notion of democracy requires of Turkey are efforts which go beyond what is being undertaken at the moment by the Turkish Grand Assembly. They are efforts which go beyond what seems acceptable to the Turkish military.
If they do not go further, our future will perhaps not be a common one, which would be a shame."@en1
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