Debate on Turkey, 11th of March 2014, Strasbourg

INITIAL REMARKS -at the beginning of the debate- by Mr tefan Fle, Member of the Commission. Madam President, honourable Members, Presidency and Minister, it is a pleasure to see you in these circumstances. I would first of all like to thank Ms Ria Oomen-Ruijten for the high quality of her report and for her continuous contribution to European Union-Turkey relations as rapporteur of this House over the past seven years what a pleasure it has been to work with you, Madam.

European Union-Turkey relations are based on a number of strategic foundations. The accession process is certainly the central one, but others are growing in significance, notably our dialogue and cooperation on foreign policy, our trade relations, our cooperation on mobility and migration and our dialogue on energy issues these are other aspects that make Turkey such a special country for the European Union.

Over the past year, there have been positive developments but also reasons for serious concern. On the positive side, we have opened the accession negotiations on the regional policy chapter the first chapter opened in more

than three years. We have signed the readmission agreement and launched the visa liberalisation dialogue.

We have also launched the evaluation of the Customs Union to assess its strengths and weaknesses in order to benefit more from our longstanding trade relations. I understand that the report prepared by the World Bank will be presented to the Committee on International Trade of the European Parliament on 20 March. The European Union and Turkey have continued to engage in an intensive dialogue on foreign policy issues. Last but not least, Turkey has also played a key role in the resumption of the Cyprus settlement talks.

Unfortunately, as I said, there have also been reasons for serious concern. These relate first and foremost to the governments response to the recent corruption allegations, in particular the adoption of legislation which affects the functioning of the judiciary and freedom of expression. I have expressed my concerns publicly, and also directly to my Turkish counterparts, including Foreign Affairs Minister Davutolu and European Union Affairs Minister Cavusolu. We will report extensively on these developments also in our forthcoming Progress Report in October.

I intend to continue and even deepen a resolute, patient and frank engagement with Turkey on the rule of law and fundamental freedoms. But in addition, we need to change the way we cooperate in order to ensure that development in the different policy areas goes into the right direction. We need, for instance, to work more closely together before legislation is envisaged and drafted.

The Commission will approach our Turkish counterparts on this basis in the coming weeks to ensure that we have a common understanding on the principles of our cooperation. This is the only way for the European Union to remain an anchor of reforms in Turkey and to support all those in that country who call for more freedom and democracy.

In the meantime, I will continue to urge the Council to formulate, at last, a roadmap or, if you would prefer, opening benchmarks for Chapter 23 of the accession negotiations. This is what Turkey itself asked for so let us take their word for it and let us engage in a constructive dialogue to deliver results on these crucial issues.

FINAL REMARKS - at the end of the debate- by Mr tefan Fle, Member of the Commission. Madam President, I always have good concluding statements prepared on Turkey, but I rarely use them because the debate always makes me think about how to react in the best way to the wide spectrum of other views.

So let me offer you as these will be my last comments on a report on Turkey in this European Parliament with me in this position three more personal points. The first is that there is only one way to become a European Union Member State: to deliver fully on all chapters of the accession process. There is no derogation from the fundamental freedoms, rule of law, accountability and separation of powers. There are no interim periods. There is no shortcut which would ignore this value-based accession process where conditionality is our main instrument.

What I have always expected from this House is that it will put the right questions to me and help me to find the right answers. But you will not help me or my successor if you keep saying that we should be more demanding on the one hand but also more restrictive as far as the opening of accession

negotiations is concerned. It is through those accession negotiations and the opening of chapters that I am really able to answer the most relevant question. I have heard it a couple of times before not really today and it is this: do we want the European Union to continue to be the benchmark for the Turkish reforms or not? This is the question.

Secondly, there is no other way to find a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus issue than one which is in line with the principles on which the European Union is based. I am happy to see that, with Turkish involvement, we have been able to see progress there. Just today, two negotiators met in the United Nations protected area. They will continue the discussion on Friday, 14 March. They confirmed today that the leaders meeting will take place on 31 March 2014.

There is a third element. A young boy, who was 15 years old, died today. Many of you have referred to him. He died after 260 days in a coma after being injured by a tear-gas canister shot by police during the Gezi Park protests. It is extremely sad, but it is also an important reminder of the Turkish peoples aspirations. I have held those aspirations as the leading light in my efforts, and I will always do so. (Applause)