Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-03-08-Speech-2-563-000"
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"en.20110308.26.2-563-000"2
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"We are two years away from an important anniversary. This year, it is 48 years since Turkey became a candidate country for joining the EU. It is beyond dispute that much has happened since then. The economic development of the country, along with the opening up of EU markets, have certainly played their role. However, the country still has a problem over a number of factors which hark back to the creation of the modern Turkish state. The treaty of 1924 clearly declares that citizens professing the Islamic faith are Turks, while citizens professing another faith are regarded as Greek Catholics. The treaty does not recognise other ethnic groups. That which was progressive in 1924, namely, recognition of the fact that someone could be of a religion other than Islam, has quite different connotations today. It is by no means a simple matter in Turkey to declare an ethnicity other than Turkish, whether it be Kurdish, Circassian or any other of the nationalities that have clearly existed in Turkey for a great many years, but whose recognition in real life, including the promotion of ethnic rights, will take a long time yet. The key issues in the problematic situation over the negotiations at the moment are the failure to resolve the occupation of Cyprus, inactivity over the UN resolution on Famagusta and a failure to fulfil the ‘tasks’ arising from previous reports. The reduced role of the army is positive, but only if secular forces remain in power. If this is not the case, it could threaten the stability of the entire region."@en1
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