Oostlanders Report on the Turkey Adopted

The European Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs welcomes the strong motivation and the political will demonstrated by the Turkish Government and by the great majority of the people's elected representatives with regard to making reforms in order to meet the Copenhagen political criteria.

But Turkey will need to continue to take fundamental decisions. Turkey has to address systematically the shortcomings in relation to the rule of law and the democratic deficit since the fulfilment of the political criteria have the absolute priority.

Today the Committee adopted with a large majority (39 in favour, 2 against and 7 abstentions) Oostlander's report on the Turkey' s progress toward accession to the EU.

Rapporteur Arie Oostlander (MEP) pointed out that the political reforms can only be judged on the basis of their actual implementation in terms of day-to-day practice at all levels of the judicial and security system and of both the civilian and military administration, and that they must have the support of the society. The possible accession should also meet the expectations of EU citizens who need to be convinced about the democratic character of the reforms and their implementation.

Mr. Oostlander stresses it will be Turkey's own sovereign decision whether it wants, or will be able to adopt the political principles and values of the EU as appropriate for Turkey's state and society or to reject them as inappropriate for Turkey.

Cyprus

The parliament continues to insist that settlement of the Cyprus conflict is an essential condition for progress regarding Turkey's application for accession to the EU. It calls upon the Turkish authorities ánd the government of the Republic of Cyprus to maintain their constructive attitude to achieve a solution in the present round of negotiations on the basis of the Annan plan for a just, viable and functional solution of the Cyprus problem, consistent with relevant UN Resolutions.

Furthermore, the European parliament requests Turkey again to implement without delay outstanding decisions of the European Court of Human rights. It regrets the progress of the trial reopened against Sakharov Prize winner Leyla Zana and three other former Democracy Party (DEP) MP's and stresses that this case is symbolic of the gulf which exists between the Turkish judicial system and that of the EU.

The report will be on the European Parliament´s agenda of the March plenary session. (NM)