Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-05-21-Speech-3-089"
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"en.20080521.4.3-089"2
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"Madam President, Mrs Oomen-Ruijten’s report which we will be adopting today is a serious report, generally balanced, and also a demanding document.
I am finishing up now. There is another wider field, foreign policy, where the EU and Turkey must make a greater effort to merge their positions. I refer, for instance, to the Mediterranean or Central Asia.
We also have many mutual interests in terms of energy security, one of the greatest challenges of our times.
In short, ladies and gentlemen, Turkey and the European Union need each other, and we must continue to work with this in mind.
It cites the progress made, but also highlights reforms outstanding.
We are all pleased that the Turkish authorities consider 2008 to be the year of reforms, because we know that accession negotiations make them necessary. Moreover, the changes themselves will be good for Turkey.
The Turkish Government’s large parliamentary majority means reform cannot be delayed. Were it introduced, EU citizens would also perceive the extent of Turkey’s commitment in terms of accession to the EU and its values, including respect for rights and freedoms.
Thus the report emphasises our firm wish that no incidents should seriously disrupt democratic political life in Turkey.
Ladies and gentlemen, we support reforms. We also support compliance with commitments. Commitments outstanding include the normalisation of relations with Cyprus and full implementation of the Additional Protocol to the Ankara Agreement.
Another important issue for the EU is immigration control. We must prevent illegal immigration, which occasionally uses Turkey as a country of transit, and combat the mafias which extract profit from this.
External borders must be controlled, and mechanisms implemented to repatriate illegal immigrants. These courses of action require cooperation by Turkey, and thus I regret that no readmission agreement has yet been reached.
Terrorism, ladies and gentlemen, is also a very real threat in Turkey and in the European Union. We must step up cooperation to combat this scourge more effectively."@en1
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