Brussels, 16/03/2016 (Agence Europe) - After Turkish newspaper Zaman was put under state control, German MEP Rebecca Harms, who is co-leader of the European Parliament's Greens/EFA Group, took stock on Wednesday 16 March of the current state of press freedom in Turkey - where, in her view, a free and independent press “no longer exists” (see EUROPE 11506).
According to Joost Lagendijk, who until last week was a columnist for Zaman, this newspaper “is unfortunately only one example of what is currently taking place in the press world”. Media opposing the Erdogan government are “crushed by the government!” Lagendijk does not, however, expect improvement in the short to medium term. Nevertheless, he is sure that “in five or six years, Turkey will be sanctioned and obliged to pay damages”.
Harms considered that over the last five years, “EU-Turkey relations have not been taken seriously and have been blocked - and not only because of Cyprus”. She described this block as “a huge mistake, a historic mistake (…) even if it is not pleasant negotiating with people like Recep Tayyip Erdogan or Ahmet Davutoglu”. Agreeing with Harms, Lagendijk said “the press situation in Turkey must not prevent the EU from being involved in negotiations with Ankara about migrants”. If Turkey is “serious” in its hopes for EU membership, “it should change”, Harms added. The best way to achieve this is to open the EU accession negotiation chapters on the judicial apparatus and fundamental rights (Chapter 23) and freedom, security and justice (24), “even if it is not easy with Cyprus”. This step, however, would enable the EU “to be involved in what is happening in Turkey”.
Later in the day, European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans stated that the Commission was in favour of opening these chapters. “It is in the interest of the EU to open Chapters 23 and 24 because this gives the possibility of entering into an in-depth debate on the rule of law, justice and freedom of the press”, he said. (Original version in French by Maëlle Didion)