The regular plenary session of the European Parliament started. Among the issues on the agenda was the new report on Turkey. European parliamentarians have criticized the Turkish government for deviating from European values and standards, particularly in the areas of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights.
The agenda also included Turkey’s illegal actions in the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as its involvement in Syria, Libya and Azerbaijan. The most critical report on Turkey in recent years started with the speech of Nacho Sánchez.
“In my opinion, undertaking the difficult task of this country’s rapporteur is a real punishment. First, a message to the Turkish government. In order to restore confidence the anti-EU rhetoric, so frequently used in a nationalist environment in Turkey, has to change. However, it is not the only thing. What really needs to change is the authoritarian drive in the mode of government in Turkey. An authoritarian interpretation of the presidential system, which leads to a regime unable to accept the slightest political criticism regardless if it comes from students, doctors, human rights defenders, let alone the opposition,” says Nacho Sanchez, Member of the Council of Europe, and Rapporteur on Turkey.
The thirty-page report also emphasized the need to pursue an aggressive foreign policy and support hostilities in Turkey’s regional conflicts.
“The European Parliament condemns the fact that instead of calling for an end to the violence, resuming peace talks and supporting the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, Turkey has unconditionally provoked and supported Azerbaijan’s hostilities during the recent Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resorting to provocative rhetoric, thus escalating tensions instead of reducing them.
The Parliament condemns the transfer of foreign mercenaries from Syria and other places to Nagorno-Karabakh, as confirmed by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, and urges Turkey to refrain from any action or rhetoric that could exacerbate tensions in the South Caucasus, as well as to support the international dialogue and the peace process under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group.”
The European parliamentarians unanimously noted the setback and reminded that no matter how much Turkey a strategic partner and a candidate for membership is, it does not change the fact that the country does not respect human rights; moreover, it is moving away from Western values day by day. The MEPs called to stop playing Erdogan’s game.
“We have seen what Turkey and Azerbaijan have done to Armenia, the negotiations must be officially stopped,” says Michael Galler, Member of the European Parliament, Germany.
“What are we talking about or whose interests are we serving, when it is already a recurrent summit that the decisions on Turkey end with a positive agenda? You have to understand that it does not work, and if relations with Turkey must have a precondition, then that only precondition is human rights,” says Maria Arena, Member of the European Parliament, and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Human Rights.
The report urges the EU not to confuse Turkey with the policies of its current government. The deputies stressed that the Union should continue to support Turkish civil society in order to promote democratic values and principles, and to protect human rights and the rule of law.
According to the parliamentarians, one should also take into account the strong European orientation of the Turkish society in general, and the European identity. However, many MEPs reminded, that Armenians, Kurds and others have been bombed and continue to be bombed by Turkey or with its support. The deputies did not hesitate to call for the official termination of the membership process.
