Strasbourg, 27/09/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the European Parliament, by a large majority (429 votes for, 71 against, with 125 abstentions), adopted the report by Camiel Eurlings (EPP-ED) on Turkey. Just like the draft approved by the foreign affairs committee on 4 September (see EUROPE 9258) the report is openly critical of the “slowdown in reforms” in Turkey over the last year. The report also points to “persistent failures” and “insufficient progress”, particularly with regard to freedom of expression and religion and minority rights, relations between civilians and the military, the implementation of legislation on the ground, women's rights, union rights, cultural rights and the appropriate implementation of judgments. The EP called on Ankara “immediately to relaunch the reform process”, and underlined that the opening of accession talks with Turkey was the “starting point of a long-term process”, “an open process which does not lead automatically to accession”, even though the aim was to make the country an EU member. MEPs stressed too that, as part of Turkey's accession process, the EU's absorption capacity was an “important consideration” which had to be borne in mind. The EP was impatiently awaiting the report on the EU's absorption capacity due to be presented by the Commission before December's European Council and pointed out the budgetary impact of Turkey's possible accession could only be examined within the framework of the financial perspective from 2014 onwards.
On the highly sensitive subject of the Armenian genocide, an important change was made to the report: while the text adopted in committee on 4 September stated that acknowledgement of the genocide by Turkey was a “precondition for EU accession” (see EUROPE 9258), this section was amended in plenary session. Instead of stating that it was a precondition for accession, the EP now stresses that “although the recognition of the Armenian genocide as such is formally not one of the Copenhagen criteria, it is indispensable for a country on the road to membership to come to terms with and recognise its past”. This amendment (carried by 322 votes to 283, with 40 abstentions) was tabled by the PES and ALDE groups, with the backing of the Greens. Belgian Socialist Véronique de Keyser, who had succeeded in have an amendment accepted in the Parliamentary committee making acknowledgment of the Armenian genocide a precondition for accession, explained that the change in the PES position was for fear of allowing those opposed to Turkey to use this issue to block the way for Turkish accession aspirations. “The European Socialist position on the Armenian genocide has always been clear (…) and there will never be any revisionism in this European Parliament. … But using this tragedy to counter Turkey's candidacy or to open the door to rampant Islamophobia is a trap we don't want to fall into. It is clear, however, that when it comes to tallying things up before accession, this sensitive point will weigh heavy, and Turkey knows it,” she said in a press release. Joost Lagendijk (Greens, Netherlands) who, along with his colleague Cem Özdemir, had argued actively for the removal of the phrase “precondition for accession” so as not to make all future dialogue on this sensitive subject impossible (see EUROPE 9269), said he was satisfied with the changes in the final version adopted on Wednesday. He said the report was “critical but fair and balanced” and would avoid too hard an EP stance hindering the efforts of pro-European forces in Turkey. Having the acknowledgement of the genocide was a precondition for accession would probably have strengthened the arm of all those in Turkey opposed to the pursuit of reform, said Mt Lagendijk in a press release. Still on the Armenian issue, the EP called on Turkey to take the appropriate measures, without preconditions, to establish diplomatic and good neighbour relations with Armenia, to lift the economic blockade and open the border swiftly. This was one of the priorities of the Partnership for EU accession, MEPs pointed out.
On Cyprus, the EP pointed out to Turkey that recognition of all Member States, including Cyprus, was a “necessary component” of the accession process. It called on Turkey to take concrete measures for normalising bilateral relations with the Republic of Cyprus “as soon as possible”. MEPs also call on the Turkish authorities to adopt a “constructive attitude” in seeking for an overall settlement to the Cypriot question in the context of the United Nations, a settlement that is acceptable to both Greek and Turkish Cypriots. At a proposal from the Greens, the EP accepted an amendment stressing that the search for a solution to the island's division should be negotiated using the Annan Plan as an important basis, within the UN framework, acceptable to both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, leading to an equitable solution based upon the principles on which the EU is founded and pursuant to the relevant UN resolutions.
As far as Customs Union is concerned, the EP expresses disappointment that, despite its contractual obligations (Ankara Protocol on extension of the Customs Union to the ten new Member States including Cyprus), Turkey continues to impose restrictions against ships flying the Cypriot flag and ships from ports of the Republic of Cyprus, refusing them access to Turkish ports, as well as against Cypriot aircraft by refusing to allow them to use Turkish airspace of land in Turkish airports. This practice is violation by Turkey of the association agreement, of Customs Union and of the additional protocol and such restrictions also run counter to the principle of free movement of goods, the EP stresses. The European Commission is expected to present its progress report on Turkey on 9 November. The report will contain a chapter devoted to the way Customs Union works. If Ankara has not implemented the Ankara protocol by then, this will have “serious” consequences on the negotiation process with Turkey and “could even bring it to an end”, the EP states. In a press release, Markus Ferber (EPP-Ed, Germany) already predicts that Turkey will not keep its commitments and that, as a result, “the European Union must suspend membership talks for an indefinite period of time”. It is not possible to negotiate with a candidate country that does not unconditionally recognise all the current EU Member States, Ferber said.
The EP also regrets in its report that Turkey is still keeping its veto on Cyprus' participation in international organisations and multilateral agreements. Ankara must take concrete measures with a view to normalising its bilateral relations with each of the EU Member States as soon as possible, including with Cyprus, it states.