Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-04-01-Speech-4-012"
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"en.20040401.2.4-012"2
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".
Mr President, the past few years have proved to be difficult for Turkey as a society and in the field of employment. It has suffered a financial crisis, earthquakes, drought and a terrorist attack. This has obviously had a knock-on effect on the people's social situation and their prosperity. The general level of prosperity in Turkey, expressed in purchasing power, is under 23% of the EU's level. Compared to five years ago, the gap has widened, because in 1997, that level was just over 30%. Unemployment has increased and fluctuates between 9% and 10%. The level of employment is lower than 50%, while this is above 60% in the European Union, although we endeavour to achieve 70%.
There are two explanations for this drop in employment. Women do not work; only one in four women has a job and many semi- and unskilled rural women opt to stay at home given the lack of opportunities to work. There is also growing informal employment, partly the result – however paradoxical this may sound – of rigid labour legislation. The laws on dismissal are very strict, with the result that employers try to bypass these laws by recruiting illegal workers. Child labour also remains high. It is estimated that there are still 750 000 working children. According to Eurostat, a quarter of the Turkish population has an income below 60% of the average. The level of poverty therefore remains high and the indices for the social situation are thus not terrific.
That does not detract from the fact that Turkey has made huge efforts. It has developed labour legislation and has made provision for the unemployed. Efforts are thus being made, but it should be noted that these, as a result of the crisis and the lack of investments, have had little impact on the social situation.
I support Turkey's application to join the European Union on the conditions that were agreed in Copenhagen. I therefore hope that we can all help Turkey take that step."@en1
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