Strasbourg, 08/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - The Turkish bombing, on 15 August, of Kurdish villages in the northern-Iraqi region of Kendakor is a violation of Iraq's territorial integrity and international law, says the European Parliament in an emergency resolution approved on Thursday. Recalling that this attack had led to several dozen victims among the civilian population and dozens injured, Parliament reiterates that: - recognition and respect of the fundamental rights of the Kurds is an essential element in Turkey's accession process to the EU; - only a political and peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue will allow for stabilisation and development in the region. Parliament thus calls on the Council and Commission to emphasise that only the respect of human rights, the rule of law and international law will enable Turkey to "continue to claim the status of candidate country for European Union membership". In addition, plenary approved an amendment, by 99 in favour and 95 against, tabled by Luisa Morgantini (Italian, United Left) urging Member States to respect, also in Turkey's case, the code on conduct on arms exports (but it rejected that part of the amendment calling for the withdrawal of arms exports licences already issued in certain Member States).
Why are there such attacks against the civilian population "just at the time when" Turkey has been accepted as applicant to EU membership?, exclaimed Feleknas Uca, German MEP (Turkish origin) with the European United Left, and Philippe Morillon (EPP, France), who is also rapporteur on Turkey's request for accession to the European Union. The military, said General Morillon, just because they are the ones who have the military strength, must not be able to decide at leisure about using force. He said forty years of military career have taught him this (we recall that General Morillon, commanded the peace-keeping forces in Bosnia). If it turns out that the Turkish army is responsible for this action, then we can only encourage the government to gradually reduce the role of this army, he added. Luxembourg Socialist Jacques Poos felt that the legitimate fight against terrorism does not justify such "collective punishment", and that one must not tolerate the fact that the "area of limited sovereignty" of northern Iraq, where the presence of observers is not authorised, should become an area of no rights, where anything goes.
Commissioner Poul Nielson recalled that the Turkish Foreign Ministry pointed out it will conduct an inquiry into the bombing, and stressed that dialogue is the only means of resolving the problems facing Turkey. "I share the views of MEPs who stressed how important it is to have obtained the status of EU applicant country", he added.