Turkey continues to move away from European values and there is no reason to withdraw the recommendation to lift its accession path especially after the ruling in the Kavala case, notes the draft report on Turkey, adopted on Thursday by the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) and referred to plenary for approval.
The draft also condemns Turkey's attitude towards Cyprus, its promotion of a two-state solution on the island and the unilateral opening of Varosha, while MEPs call on Turkey to allow the Turkish Cypriot community to act freely, and on the Commission to increase its contacts with the community.
As noted in the statement, there has been no improvement in relation to fundamental freedoms, democracy and the rule of law, as shown through the final judgment in the Kavala case.
In particular, the European Parliament deplores the continued legal and administrative pressure exerted by the Turkish government on civil society and human rights defenders, lawyers and journalists, calling on the Commission to provide, through the foreseen financial programmes, adequate support for pro-democracy efforts in Turkey.
At the same time, Parliament called for linking any opening of a discussion on a revision of the Customs Union to the state of democracy and the rule of law in the country.
At the same time, there is little improvement in EU-Turkey relations overall and underlined that cooperation between the two sides on foreign policy and security remains vital.
MEPs welcome Turkey's willingness to act as a mediator in the Russian invasion of Ukraine and stress the need for cooperation with the EU in foreign policy and defence.
They welcome the resumption of high-level dialogues and call for the resumption of the suspended high-level political dialogue, but note that unfortunately Turkey's relations with neighbouring EU Member States remain difficult.
The draft was adopted by AFET members with 54 votes in favour, 7 against and 13 abstentions.
Cyprus and Greek-Turkish
Regarding the Cyprus problem, the draft report regrets that the problem remains unresolved and reiterates Parliament's support for a solution in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions within the international legal framework, which it adds is the only viable one.
The draft also calls on Turkey to abandon the proposal for a two-state solution and refrain from unilateral actions that consolidate the division or alter the demographic balance, and condemns the continued violation of UNSC resolutions concerning the transfer of the Barossas to their rightful inhabitants.
Finally, MEPs call on Turkey to give the Turkish Cypriot community the necessary space to act in accordance with its role as a legitimate community on the island and call on the Commission to increase its efforts to engage with this community, recalling that its place is in the EU.
EEZ and call for energy cooperation
On Greek-Turkish relations, regret is expressed over statements made by the Turkish authorities questioning Greece's sovereignty over certain islands, calling them counterproductive statements, contrary to de-escalation efforts. MEPs also reiterate their call on all parties to make a sincere effort to negotiate EEZ and continental shelf boundaries.
They also condemn the harassment of research vessels within the Cypriot EEZ, as well as violations of Greek national airspace, including overflights.
At the same time, MEPs welcome Turkey's contribution to ensuring gas supply adequacy through the interconnection of the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) and Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) and reiterate their support for the European Council's proposal for a multilateral conference on the Eastern Mediterranean, stressing that the Green Agreement provides important opportunities for achieving cooperative, sustainable and inclusive energy solutions.
Cooperation in foreign policy and security
The draft welcomes the country's willingness to play a mediating role in relation to the war in Ukraine and welcomes Turkey's steady alignment with NATO and the EU, as well as the country's efforts to host the largest number of refugees in the world, the provision of European funding for refugees and reception structures in the country.
Customs union and conditions
The draft also supports the Commission's proposal to open negotiations to upgrade the Customs Union, but makes clear that the European Parliament will only support the final agreement if Turkey meets the necessary conditions regarding human rights and fundamental freedoms, respect for international law and good neighbourly relations.
At this moment, the draft report concludes, the Parliament does not consider that it can change its position that accession negotiations with Turkey should be suspended as they have been stalled since 2018.
Source: APM
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs to Cyprus Times
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
Source
