Brussels, 06/06/2000 (Agence Europe) - The Joint EU/Turkey Parliamentary Committee which met in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday under the joint chairmanship of Messrs Cohn-Bendit and Eser has been an opportunity to state that, despite certain negative developments in recent months (re-imprisonment of Mr Birdal, the human rights activist, the conviction of members of the Hadep Party…), the positive development in EU/Turkish relations since the European Council in Helsinki last December can be continued and lead to concrete results. Since Helsinki, we have gone beyond the point of no return, said Mr Yalova, Turkish Minister of State, who hoped that the proposals in the Ankara report on political criteria to be met for EU accession will be "assessed as they should be by our parliament, and receive majority support." The minister, who will receive the financial aid package approved for Turkey said that this is one of the fundamental conditions of our cooperation in finalising accession and hoped that "our harmonisation process will be met with the necessary financial support, in such a way as to cover over the injustices of the past." These views clearly show that our discussion here is not simply a "stylistic exercise, but part of preparing the majorities which will be required to release these funds", said Daniel Cohn-Bendit.
Some MEPs were concerned to know if Turkey had drawn up a timetable for completing the planned reforms, and, replying to Mme Giannakou (Nea Demokraita, Greek), Mr Yalova gave assurances regarding this, while at the same time looking back in history to highlight that the concept of civil rights has existed for a long time in Turkey: Jean-Jacques Rousseau's "social contract" went back to the 18th century, while our Kutat Kubilik, our oldest written document that sets out the respective roles of citizens and political leaders, goes back to 1069, he said.
Mr Silveira de Carvalho, Director General for European Affairs, speaking for the Portuguese presidency, stressed the immense adjustment currently being undergone by both the EU and Turkey. Who could have imagined that Turkish soldiers would take part in military manœuvres on Greek soil ? he asked (this involves the NATO "Dynamic Mix 2000" manœuvres, which have just taken place in the Mediterranean: NDR) Mr Silveira de Carvalho also pointed to positive developments since the EU/Turkey Association Council on 11 April in Luxembourg, which had been the first for three years, and felt that "our relations are once again on the right course", in this "common journey" toward Turkish accession to the EU.
The Commissioner for enlargement, Günter Verheugen, said that the EU was waiting for Turkey's "firm assurance" of its intention to carry through the reform process: this will be very important for the "progress report" on Turkish accession to the EU that the Commission will adopt in the autumn. Mr Verheugen, who welcomed the improvement in Greek/Turkish relations, believed that the Turkish earthquake last summer demonstrated that this country has considerable potential for overcoming difficult situations in a short space of time. On a political level, upholding human rights will play a "central" role, he said, praising the work of the Turkish parliamentary committee on accusations of torture ; I expect much of this report, he stated.
On an economic level, Mr Verheugen indicated that the Commission is preparing to hold initial meetings before the summer holidays of some of the eight sub-committees created by the Association Council of 11 April for preparing the "screening" of the adoption of the acquis communautaire by Turkey ; this would involve the sub-committees for agriculture and fisheries, the internal market, transport, environment and energy. Concerning the financial aspects, the Commissioner called on the European Parliament to approve the regulation on aid for economic and social development in Turkey at its second reading between now and the end of the year (he noted that the Commission had accepted virtually all the amendments adopted by the EP at its first reading). I believe that we will "enter quite quickly into a decisive phase", Mr Verheugen believed.
Debate was a bit more fraught on Cyprus, with several Turkish MPs saying that it was a great shame that MEPs were speaking of the "occupation" of the island (this was mentioned by Mr Eser- and Mr Tekin and Mr Kocabatmaz). The British socialist Mr Balfe intervened saying that "Cypriots in the North do not consider themselves to be occupied". The MEP said that, last Thursday, the former president Demirel had told him that any solution of the Cyprus problem which did not take account of reality would be rejected by the Turkish Cypriots. German Social Democrat Mrs Rothe, chair of the EU/Cypriot Parliament delegation, believed that the best use should be made of the current favourable climate to take specific initiatives and even take "small steps" (she cited the example of Third Country merchant shipping which are not authorised to enter Turkish ports in the pass through a port in the Republic of Cyprus). Mr Cehvun, German member of the EP Greens (Turkish origin) said the ball is in your court now.
Mr. Verheugen: Cyprus is leading the race - Mr Eser: the EU must act like a father
who treats all his children equally
Günter Verheugen felt there was "a certain realism" and, while also repeating that since Helsinki, a solution to the problem on this island was no longer a "precondition" to Cypriot accession to the EU, he stated that "politically", such a solution would assist accession. I think that a solution to the Cypriot problem is "not so far away", he added, stressing that the main thing was to find a solution which enabled "a fair balance and certain protection of the interests of the two communities". At the same time, Mr Verheugen highlighted that Ankara should not think that it can decide, simply "by pressing a button" such as Cypriot accession, and that the same was true of Athens. Turkey cannot block Cypriot accession, "this is a false way of thinking", just as Greece must not believe that Cyprus can join the EU "at any price", said Mr Verheugen.
EU representatives to Cyprus are progressing well, and Cyprus is "leading the race", the Commissioner underlined, believing that you would not need much imagination to view Cyprus as the first of the candidate countries to join the EU. We are asking the European Union not to be "biased" and not to favour one island community to the detriment of the other, Mr Eser stated, adding: "We want the EU to be like a father, a father who treats all his children equally".
Controversial exchanges on the kurkish problem
When Daniel Cohn-Bendit raised the kurdish problem, Yuksel Yalova replied by quoting the Corsican case. Mr Cohn-Bendit stated that the situation was completely different and the minister said that in Turkey no difference was made between Kurds and Turks…
(British Liberal Democrat Sarah Ludford gave a press conference on Tuesday, which we will come back to, following a mission to Turkey with MEPs Jean Lambert and Feleknas Uca, during which she had also visited kurdish communities).
Joint Committee succeeds in adopting a common declaration for the first time
In a common declaration, the EU/Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee praises the decision taken at the Helsinki summit to give Turkey the status of candidate country, encouraging the Turkish government to pursue the political-institutional and economic reforms, underlining the importance of Community legal instruments which must be adopted to ensure the implementation of the pre-accession framework envisaged by Turkey, and invites the Council and the Commission to propose the legal framework enabling Turkey to benefit from the facilities offered to candidate countries. The Joint Committee recognises that one of "the important strategic objectives for pre-accession is to create a community of values between the two parties", as well as acknowledging the scale of the structural adjustment undertaken by Turkey and calls for the rapid provision of EU financial aid, in order to compensate this task and address the negative social consequences. MEPs are encouraging the Turkish government to pursue macro-economic adjustment as a means of dealing with inflation, linked to sustainable growth and reverse the spiral of external debt. Among other things, they "support all the efforts of the Turkish authorities to combat terrorism by political means in line with the standards governing civil rights in a social democracy" and the European Commission's initiative to contribute to a framework programme promoting human rights within the administration and the forces of law and order. The Joint Committee agrees to follow the progress made by Turkey in achieving democracy and notes the wish of MEPs to discuss in this context issues related to civil rights and the death penalty.
At a press conference, Daniel Cohn Bendit welcomed the fact that for the first time a common text had been adopted which was "a real compromise" (and is therefore not entirely satisfactory for anyone, he said). He stated that MEPs believe that achieving significant democracy and abolishing the death penalty are prerequisites to strengthening the partnership between Turkey and the EU. These questions will be addressed again at the 46th meeting of the Joint Committee to be held in the autumn.