Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-03-08-Speech-2-511-000"
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"en.20110308.26.2-511-000"2
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"Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, first of all, I would like to say that it is a great pleasure for me that you have shown such an interest in the matter of enlargement. Even though both the Member States and the candidate countries are facing noticeable challenges, I believe that the enlargement process must go on continuously and consistently on the basis of the performance delivered. In order to achieve this, both parties must remain committed. Knowing the activities of the European Parliament, it is clear that this is the forum where all participants are aware of the significance of our relations with Turkey.
The Council continues to closely monitor and review any achievements made. Similarly, there has been no progress in relations between Cyprus and Turkey returning to normal. The Council expects Turkey to actively support the negotiations under way under the auspices of the UN for the just, comprehensive and feasible settlement of the issue of Cyprus, pursuant to the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and with respect for the basic principles that represent the foundations of the EU. Turkey’s commitment and contribution is indeed essential for such a comprehensive settlement.
Moreover, I would like to emphasise that Turkey must make a clear commitment to good neighbourly relations and the peaceful settlement of disputes. Turkey is a key country of origin and a transit country in illegal immigration to the EU, and we therefore welcome the fact that the negotiations for a readmission agreement between the EU and Turkey have been concluded. The Council is looking forward to the agreement being signed as soon as possible and then implemented successfully. We are well aware that this took place at the latest Justice and Home Affairs Council, and we are now expecting Turkey to sign the treaty. Until that happens, the Council stresses once again the obligation to fully and properly implement the existing bilateral readmission agreements.
In connection with the customs union between the EU and Turkey, I would like to note that it is time for Turkey to finally fulfil the large number of commitments it has failed to address so far. These include the technical and administrative barriers to trade, the registration requirements, the import licences, state aids, the assertion of intellectual property rights and other discriminative practices and provisions. These are all issues that need to be resolved urgently. Furthermore, Turkey must lift all the restrictions that affect trade and transport between EU Member States and Turkey. Thank you for your patience and I will be pleased to entertain any questions.
These are long-standing relations, which are made even closer by the country’s candidate status. At the same time, Turkey is also an important regional actor, and plays a crucial role in a number of significant areas, such as energy security and regional security, as well as the promotion of dialogue between civilisations. Meanwhile, the dramatic international events taking place in our immediate neighbourhood highlight even further the extent of Turkey’s significance in the aforementioned areas. Accession negotiations with the country are proceeding in line with the relevant conclusions of the European Council and the Council, as well as the negotiation framework. Despite the negotiations, which are at an advanced stage and are also becoming increasingly complex, the Hungarian Presidency is committed to making progress with regard to all chapters where progress is possible. The work is proceeding even now, and its main focus is currently on chapter eight, that is, competition policy.
I trust that our Turkish partners will continue with their efforts and that we will soon be able to see results. In its conclusions adopted in December last year, the Council welcomed Turkey’s continuous commitment to the negotiation process, as well as its political reform programme. The constitutional reform package adopted by Turkey in 2010 represents another important step in the right direction, as this package covers several priorities of the accession partnership in the fields of justice, fundamental rights and public administration. The most important task at the moment is to ensure that the reforms are implemented in accordance with European norms and through consultations that involve the widest possible scope of participants, that is, all political parties and civil society organisations.
It is clear that continuing the work on the political criteria remains extremely important. Serious efforts will be required in many areas, as has been underlined in the Council conclusions of 14 December 2010, the draft resolution of the European Parliament and the Commission’s 2010 progress report.
Let me highlight some of these areas. Turkey must further improve the respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, particularly the freedom of expression and the freedom of religion, in both legislation and practice. Additional efforts will also have to be made in order to ensure full compliance with the Copenhagen criteria, in respect of property rights, trade union rights, the rights of persons belonging to minorities, the rights of women and children, the fight against discrimination, gender equality and the fight against torture and inhuman treatment, among other areas.
With regard to the freedom of expression, the areas giving cause for concern include restriction of the freedom of the press, insufficient protection of journalists’ rights, as well as the frequent and large-scale banning of websites, which is also highlighted in Parliament’s draft resolution. Allow me to refer at this point to the events of the last few days. On 3 March, the Turkish police arrested a number of journalists. We must monitor this case very closely and we must continuously remind the Turkish authorities of the importance of the continuous assertion of freedoms.
Concerning the freedom of religion, Turkey must provide both the legislative and the practical conditions for it to be exercised. To guarantee religious pluralism in line with European norms, a comprehensive legal solution is required. Similarly, the Presidency is concerned about the large number of news reports about torture and inhumane treatment and specifically, abuse committed outside official detention facilities. In order to prevent the violation of human rights, the strict implementation of the act on the scope of activities and powers of the police, as amended in 2007, must be monitored. As highlighted by the draft resolution of the European Parliament, the affirmation of the optional protocol to the UN Convention against Torture and the fight against impunity represent essential steps in this regard.
As regards Turkish-Kurdish relations and the issue of the south-eastern territories, we hope that the implementation and continuation of the process of democratic opening will soon deliver the expected results, and can ultimately lead to the economic, social and cultural development of the region. Let me also recall that the Council strongly condemns the acts of terrorism committed in the territory of Turkey. It must also be highlighted that the Kurdistan Workers’ Party is still on the EU list of terrorist groups.
Moving on to relations between the EU and Turkey, I note with deep regret that despite being repeatedly asked to do so, Turkey still refuses to fulfil its obligations on the full and non-discriminatory implementation of the additional protocol to its Association Agreement. This is a core issue and therefore, the Council maintains its 2006 measures, which, on the other hand, clearly have an impact on the pace of the accession negotiations, as we all know."@en1
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