Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-05-21-Speech-3-073"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2008-05-21"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Turkey's 2007 progress report (debate)2
dcterms:Language	"de"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20080521.4.3-073"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2008-05-21-Speech-3-0742
lpv:speaker	lp:Werner Langen2
lpv:spokenAs	substitute; Delegation for relations with the People's Republic of China (2007-03-14--2009-07-13)3 member_of_the_bureau; EPP-ED (2004-11-14--2009-07-13)3 substitute; Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly (2004-12-01--2009-07-13)3 substitute; Temporary Committee on Climate Change (2007-05-10--2009-02-04)3 member; ITRE (2007-01-31--2009-07-13)3 substitute; Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (2007-05-23--2008-10-22)3 substitute; ECON (2007-01-31--2009-07-13)3 unknown; Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands (2004-07-20--2009-07-13)3 member; Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee (2004-09-15--2009-07-13)3
lpv:translated text	"Madam President, I would like to start by thanking Mrs Oomen-Ruijten very warmly. She has presented an open and honest progress report which follows on seamlessly from the reports which we have adopted in previous years. There is one point on which I am much more sceptical than you and Commissioner Rehn, however. I do not see any progress having been made by Turkey last year. On the contrary, everything came to a standstill. We have the greatest interest in a Turkey which is modern, democratic, stable and Western-oriented, and which maintains close economic, political and cultural relations with Europe. However, if you look at the facts, there is every sign of stagnation having occurred. We have yet to find a solution to the issue of the Customs Union. Turkey has special status vis-à-vis the European Union as far as Cyprus is concerned. In this reform process, we have made a proposal on Article 301, but I would remind you that former Prime Minister Tansu Çiller pledged reform in 1995, 13 years ago, before we endorsed the Customs Union, and nothing has happened. The application for a ban is on the table and that shows Turkey’s lack of democratic maturity: the parties are not remotely perturbed that the governing party could be banned and that the Prime Minister himself could be barred from politics. The military is both a stability factor and an impediment to democracy. This contradiction also has not been resolved, and I see signs of a new nationalism in Turkey which is evident in many areas. The behaviour towards the Chairman of our own delegation, Joost Lagendijk, shows that it is not really about freedom of opinion. Instead, there is a desire to exert pressure in public, in every way possible, in order to influence public opinion. We cannot go along with that. In my view, at present, there is absolutely no cause for optimism where Turkey is concerned, and we need to be thinking seriously about other options. This report is open and honest about that and we should support it."@en1

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