Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-10-27-Speech-3-161"
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"en.20041027.10.3-161"2
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".
Mr President, freedom of religion is one of the priority areas in the revised accession partnership for Turkey that was adopted by the Council on 15 May 2003. In line with that priority, Turkey must create conditions corresponding to those in the EU Member States, so as to ensure that non-Muslim religious communities can function. This also comprises the use of ownership rights in accordance with Protocol No 1 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. The Council is fully aware that non-Muslim religious communities, including the Ecumenical Patriarchate, continue to experience problems. Although some progress has been made in this area, various problems, particularly the problem of the legal position of non-Muslim religious communities and the registration of ownership, have not so far been resolved. Comprehensive new legislation is still being drafted. Meanwhile, the government is trying to find
solutions to most of the critical problems. In this context, the situation concerning the reopening of the Halki School of Theology also remains shrouded in uncertainty for the time being. The Council is closely following developments with regard to freedom of religion in Turkey against the background of the Copenhagen political criteria for accession. The Union will continue to raise this issue with Turkey within the bodies of the association agreement and in the context of the political dialogue, as well as at any other suitable opportunity.
It is, however, clear that preventing or handling specific incidents, such as the protests mentioned by the honourable Member, fall within the exclusive remit of the Turkish authorities. As the honourable Member knows, the Commission accepted its recommendations concerning Turkey’s progress on the road to accession on 6 October and has recommended opening negotiations with Turkey under certain conditions. In order to guarantee the permanence and irreversibility of the political criteria, the Commission would recommend a cooperation strategy in order to strengthen and support Turkey’s reform process, particularly with regard to the sustained compliance with the political criteria of Copenhagen. The pace of the reforms will determine progress during the negotiations. With specific reference to the Armenian and Syrian minorities, the report outlines an update of the situation, which is mainly reflected in the educational systems, schoolbooks and language teaching."@en1
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