Having called last November (see EUROPE 11675) for Turkey's EU accession negotiations to be put on ice due to the situation in the country, MEPs have taken another step on Thursday 5 July by calling for the negotiations to be suspended if the amendments to the Turkish constitution are applied as they currently stand.
In Kati Piri's report (S&D, Netherlands) on the Commission's 2016 report on Turkey, which MEPs adopted by 477 votes in favour, 64 against and 77 abstentions, MEPs call on the Commission and member states, in line with framework of the negotiation, to formally suspend the accession negotiations with Turkey without further delay, if the packet of constitutional reforms is implemented in its current form. The MEPs say that the proposal for the constitutional review does not respect the fundamental principles of the separation of powers, does not sufficiently offer counter-power and is not in line with the Copenhagen criteria. In Piri's view, suspending the accession negotiations would result in the suspension of the pre-accession funding which is worth nearly €700 million per year. The rapporteur did not want this funding to return to the European budget but to be used for further investment in the staff exchange programmes or for Syrian refugees in the country.
And if the death penalty is re-established, it would lead to an immediate end to EU accession negotiations and pre-accession aid, the Parliament warns.
The MEPs also ask the Commission, member states and Turkey to move ahead with a frank and open debate on the areas of common interest in which enhanced cooperation would be possible. They say that any new political engagement between the EU and Turkey should be based on conditionality arrangements as regards the respect of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights. They support the Commission's proposal to engage in negotiations on updating the customs union, and they underline the current failings of this union, but ask the Commission at the same time to include in this strengthened customs union "a clause on human rights and fundamental freedoms", with a view to making this an essential condition.
The MEPs also launch a call for the deepening of relations in important areas of common interest, such as the fight against terrorism, migration, energy, the economy and trade. In addition, Turkey and the EU should strengthen their cooperation and coordinate their action more with regard to foreign policy challenges.
Underlining the importance of visa liberalisation for Turkish citizens, the European Parliament encourages the Turkish government to fully respect the last criteria that are still on hold, especially the review of Turkey's anti-terrorist legislation.
More generally, the MEPs regret Turkey's disproportionate response, which led to the dismissal of thousands of civil servants, to the mass liquidation of media, to the arrest of journalists, judges and human rights activists, and to the closure of schools and universities. Ahead of the vote, Piri also announced the arrest during the night of eight human rights activists including the director of Turkey's Amnesty International, and she called for their immediate release.
The Parliament plans to send an ad hoc delegation to Turkey this autumn, with the goal of renewing parliamentary dialogue, the European Parliament states. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)