National Programme for adopting EU acquis announces a series of reforms, including constitutional - Abolition of death penalty to be envisaged "in medium-term"

Ankara, 20/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - In Ankara on 19 March, the Turkish Council of Ministers adopted the "National Programme relating to the adoption of the European Union acquis", drawn up in view of completing the pre-accession strategy. This document "draws out the path that will lead Turkey to full membership", says a press release, stressing that the goal is to "rapidly bring Turkey in line with standards achieved by EU Member States in all fields", and that the Turkish Government has the "will to rapidly implement the necessary measures" and "achieve its goal as quickly as possible".

The programme places emphasis on the political criteria to meet for Union membership, and states that the "review of the Constitution will have priority". On one point, close to the EU's heart, the death penalty, the government underpins that the abolition of the death penalty, "its forms and its scope, will be considered by the Turkish National Grand Assembly in the medium-term", and undertakes to respect the moratorium on executions in force since 1984. On another important aspect for the Union, the situation of the Kurds, the programme, that does not use this term, recalls that Turkey's official language, including in the educational system, is Turkish, but that this does not "prohibit the free usage of different languages and dialects" by Turkish citizens "in their daily lives", while stressing that this freedom "may not be abused for the purposes of separatism and division". The programme also notes that "separatist terrorist activities have been effectively curbed" and that the Turkish Government has taken a series of measures aimed at alleviating regional disparities and developing "increasing economic, social and cultural opportunities for all citizens". As for the role of the military in Turkish politics (one aspect to which the European Parliament drew special attention in adopting the Philippe Morillon Report: Ed), the Programme states that the National Security Council has the "status of a consultative body in areas of national security", and that the relevant articles of the Constitution and other legislation "will be reviewed in the medium-term to "define more clearly" its structure and functions. The Programme also states that the State of Emergency, that was introduced "to fight terrorism" and which remains effective in four provinces, "will be lifted with due regard to threat assessment and developments on the ground with respect to security".

The Government states that Turkey is determined to "contribute to a peaceful and prosperous future based on common universal values with the Member States of the EU", and that Turkey "can assume a fundamental role in the process of European unification through the concrete and distinct contributions she can offer". In its programme, the Government recalls that certain reforms are already underway, and announces short- and medium-term reforms in the fields of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. In particular, the Programme announces the following measures:

• Freedom of thought and expression: in the short-term, there will be a review of the provisions of the Constitution and certain articles of the Criminal Code, the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Act on Press, and, in the medium-term, on political parties and police acts;
• Freedom of association and peaceful assembly: in the short term, it will foremost be a question of "enhancing constitutional safeguards for non-governmental organisations and the institutions for social and economic democracy", and, in the medium-term, "reviewing any restrictions there may be on trade union rights";
• Fight against torture: the programme announces short and medium-term measures, and recalls that those responsible for human rights to the Prime Minister have been "authorised to undertake necessary measures for the prevention of incidents of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment (…) which cannot be tolerated by the Government under any circumstances".
• Conditions of detention in prisons (which, you may remember, recently led to serious troubles and left many dead: Ed.): the Government, which is "resolved to eliminate any unfavourable conditions that may exist in prisons and has undertaken intensive efforts to this end", wants, in the short-term, to ensure more effective supervision and control of prisons and enact the Draft Law Amending the Act on Terrorism, which would render possible extension of open visits and workshop activities to prisoners convicted of such crimes.

The European Commission welcomed the adoption of this Programme, which, it stresses, is an important step in the pre-accession process. The Commission states that it will study the Programme in detail and provide the Turkish Government with a coordinated response.