35 Amendments of Costas MAVRIDES related to 2018/2150(INI)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1
Citation 1
— having regard to its previous resolutions on Turkey, in particular those of 24 November 2016 on EU-Turkey relations1 , of 27 October 2016 on the situation of journalists in Turkey2 , and of 8 February 2018 on the human rights situation in Turkey3 , _________________ 1 2 3[3] and of 13 November 2014 on Turkish actions creating tensions in the exclusive economic zone of Cyprus, _________________ 1 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0450. Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0450. 2 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0423. Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0423. Texts adopted, P8_TA(2018)0040.
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3
Citation 3
— having regard to the Presidency conclusions of 13 December 2016 and the Council Conclusions of 26 June 2018, and to the previous relevant Council and European Council conclusions,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7
Citation 7
— having regard to the declaration issued by the European Community and its Member States on 21 September 2005, including the provision that the recognition of all Member States is a necessary component of the negotiations, and to the need for Turkey to proceed to the normalization of its relations with all Member States and to fully implement the Additional Protocol to the Ankara Agreement towards all MS, by removing all obstacles to the free movement of goods, withoutincluding restrictions orn means of transport, without prejudice and discrimination,
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
- having regard to the Fact-finding Visit by the Committee on Petitions to Famagusta, Cyprus (07-08.05.2018),
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9
Citation 9
— having regard to Article 46 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which states that the contracting parties undertake to abide by the final judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in any case to which they are parties, and to the obligation of Turkey to implement all judgements of the European Courts,
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
- having regard to Council of Europe Resolution 1625(2008) regarding property and inheritance rights of the Greek Orthodox population and its foundations on the islands of Imvros and Tenedos,
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 b (new)
Citation 9 b (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 15 April 2015 on the centenary of the Armenian genocide,
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16
Citation 16
— having regard to the Commission recommendation of 21 December 2016 for a Council dDecision authorising the opening of negotiations with Turkey on an aAgreement on the extension of the scope of the bilateral preferential trade relationship and on the modernisation of the Customs Union, as well as the Council Conclusions of 26 June 2018 stating that no further work towards the modernisation of the EU-Turkey Customs Union is foreseen,
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Notes with concern that following the introduction of the state of emergency, the asylum applications from Turkish citizens has risen dramatically, resulting in Turkey being the fifth country of origin for asylum applications in EU Member States according to the European Asylum Support Office; underlines that in September 2018 more than 16.000 applications were still waiting a first instance decision;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Deplores the fact that the Venice Commission recommendations on the status of religious communities in Turkey have yet to be implemented; reiterates its call on Turkey to respect the importance of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for Orthodox Christians all over the world, to recognise its legal personality and the public use of the ecclesiastical title of the Ecumenical Patriarch; stresses the need to eliminate restrictions on the training, appointment and succession of clergy, to allow the reopening of the Halki Seminary and lift all obstacles for its proper functioning;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6 b. Regrets the fact that the Treasury has appealed favourable decisions for restitution of properties according to the Law on Foundations and most of the appeals against rejected claims are pending either before local courts or at ECHR; calls for the publication of the new electoral regulation for non Muslim foundations, following its annulment in 2013 which has created serious problems to proper administration of these foundations; recalls the need for Turkey to fully implement all recommendations of the Council of Europe Resolution 1625(2008) with particular emphasis on the restitution property rights of the Greek Orthodox population and its foundations on the islands of Imvros and Tenedos, as well as inheritance rights and adopt all necessary positive discrimination measures for assisting the repatriation of all minority families who wish to return to the islands; welcomes the opening in 2017 of the Greek minority pre-school on the island of Imvros preceded by the opening of the primary school in 2013 and of the high school in 2015 which constitute a positive step towards the preservation of the bicultural character of the islands;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Deplores the fact that under the 2011/2012 Instrument for Pre- Accession (IPA) programme, the EU financed the acquisition of Cobra II armoured surveillance vehicles, which are now stationed both in Turkish –Syrian and Turkish Greek borders and calls the Commission to closely monitor the use of the equipment bought under EU programmes;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Condemns the continued arrest of Selahattin Demirtas, opposition leader and presidential candidate; pledges to continue to follow his case very closely and calls for his immediate and unconditional release; expectscalls on Turkey to fully implement the decision of the European Court of Human Rights to deliver without dwhich ordered to immediatelay its final judgement in the caserelease him from prison;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on the Commission and the Member States, taking all of the above into account andTaking all of the above into account, calls on the Commission and the Council of the European Union, in accordance with the Negotiating Framework, to formally suspend the accession negotiations with Turkey till Turkey complies with the Copenhagen criteria and fully implement its contractual obligations towards all MSs, including the Additional Protocol to the EC-Turkey Association Agreement vis-à- vis the Republic of Cyprus; remains, however, committed to democratic dialogue with Turkey; asks the Commission to use, during the formal suspension of negotiations, all funds available under IPA II and the future IPA III to support, through a dedicated envelope directly managed by the EU, Turkey’s civil society, and to increase opportunities for people-to-people contacts, academic dialogue, access for Turkish students to European universities and media platforms for journalists;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Notes that while the EU accession process was at its start a strong motivation for reforms in Turkey, there has been a stark regression in the areas of the rule of law and human rights during the last few years; recalls that Parliament repeatedly called for the opening of Chapter 23 on Judiciary and Fundamental Rights and Chapter 24 on Justice, Freedom and Security at a time whe and repeats its calls on the Turkish government had pledged to conduct serious reforms; regrets deeply that the accession instruments could not be used to the fullest extent owing to a continued blockage by the Council;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Calls on the European Council for a EU embargo on arms sales to Turkey as a response to its expansionary and repressive policy outside of Turkey;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. BelievStresses that a door should be left openprerequisite for the modernisation and upgrading of the 1995 Customs Union between the EU and Turkey, to include relevant areas such as agriculture, services and public procurement, which currently are not covered; recalls that two thirds of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Turkey comes from EU Member States and that Turkey is an important growth market for the EU; believes that the upgrade would provide a valuable opportunity for democratic conditionality, positive leverage and the possibility of a roadmap where upgrading the Customs Union would go hand in hand with concrete commitments by Turkey on democratic reformis that Turkey proceeds to the full, effective and non-discriminatory implementation of the existing Customs Union vis-à-vis all MS, including the Republic of Cyprus; believes further that the upgradinge of the Ccustoms Uunion wcould provide an important opportunity for policy dialogue on climate change as well as on labour rights in Turkey; calls on the Commission to start preparatory work for the upgrading of the Customs Union as soon as the Turkish Government indicates its readiness for serious reformsReminds that EU trade agreements shall always be in line with EU principles on human rights, democracy and the rule of law;
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Notes that visa liberalisation is of great importance for Turkish citizens, particularly for students, academics, business representatives, and people with family ties in EU Mmember Sstates; encouragescalls on the Turkish Government to fullywithdraw unilateral declarations and to fully and in a non-discriminatory manner comply with the 72 criteria identified in the visa liberalisation roadmap, towards all MSs; stresses that the revision of Turkey’s anti- terrorism legislation is a key condition forto ensuring fundamental rights and freedoms, and that visa liberalisation willcould be possible once all the criteria have been met; fully and effectively met, in a non- discriminatory manner, towards all MS, including cooperation on JHA issues and non-discriminatory access to the Turkish territory for the citizens of all EU Member States;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Recalls the important role played by Turkey in responding to the migration crisis resulting from the war in Syria; takes the view that Turkey’s population has shown great hospitality by offering shelter to more than 3 million Syrian refugees; calls on the EU and its Member States to keep their promise regarding a large-scale resettlement, and to ensure adequate financial resources for the long-term support of Syrian refugees in Turkey; is concerned that the European Court of Auditors on its last report on 13 November 2018 noted that Turkey refused to share information with the EU auditors regarding the details of the expenditures about the spending of €1.1 billion granted by the EU to Turkey to help Syrian refugees and calls on the Commission to put pressure on Turkish government to make the data on the beneficiaries available before granting the next tranche of the assistance, as per Court’s recommendation;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Recalls the important role played by Turkey in responding to the migration crisis resulting from the war in Syria; takes the view that Turkey’s population has shown great hospitality by offering shelter to more than 3 million Syrian refugees; calls on Turkey to implement fully and effectively the EU-Turkey Readmission Agreement and to relaunch without further delay the implementation of the bilateral readmission protocol with Greece; calls on the EU and its Member States to keep their promise regarding a large-scale resettlement, and to ensure adequate financial resources for the long- term support of Syrian refugees in Turkey;
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Calls on the Turkish government to cooperate with relevant international organizations, especially the Council of Europe, to respect and fully implement the legal obligations which it has entered into, concerning the protection of cultural heritage, and, in particular, to draw up in good faith an integrated inventory of Greek, Armenian, Assyrian and other cultural heritage that was destroyed or ruined in the course of the last century; calls on Turkey, to prevent and combat illicit trafficking and the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage within Turkey and the occupied part of Cyprus;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Calls on Turkey to further align its foreign policy with that of the EU in accordance with the provisions of the Negotiating Framework;
Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18 b. Urges Turkey to proceed to a normalization of its relations with Armenia by establishing diplomatic relations without preconditions and calls for the opening of the borders which can lead to the improvement of their relations, with particular reference to cross border cooperation and economic integration; is of the opinion that the recognition of the Armenian genocide by Turkey would represent an important step to come to terms with its past and thus to pave the way for genuine reconciliation between the Turkish and Armenian peoples;
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18 c. Stresses that Turkey needs to commit itself unequivocally to good neighbourly relations, according to international agreements, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which is part of the EU acquis, the United Nations Charter and having recourse, if necessary, to the International Court of Justice; underlines that recognition of all Member States is a necessary component of the accession process;
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18 c. Calls on Turkey to cooperate with relevant international organizations, especially the Council of Europe, in preventing and combatting illicit trafficking and the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage within Turkey and the occupied part of Cyprus;
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 d (new)
Paragraph 18 d (new)
18 d. Reiterates its call on Turkey to comply with the EU declaration issued on September 21, 2005 and to fulfil its obligation of full, non-discriminatory implementation of the Additional Protocol to the EC-Turkey Association Agreement vis-à-vis all Member States, including the Republic of Cyprus, regrets that Turkey has still not made progress towards the normalization of its relations with the Republic of Cyprus; reiterates that recognition of all Member States is a necessary component of the accession process, of Customs Union and of every agreement between the EU and Turkey and calls for progress without any further delay;
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 e (new)
Paragraph 18 e (new)
18 e. Recalls its position adopted in the report on the implementation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy in 2017 about the importance of ensuring the coherence of EU policy as regards situations involving the occupation or annexation of territory; recalls, in this regard, that the immediate withdrawal of Turkish occupation forces and the full restoration of the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus, in line with the UNSC resolutions, should be the first step for achieving a long-term political solution, guaranteeing the well-being, security and democratic rights of all Cypriots;
Amendment 301 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Welcomes the efforts by the UN to resume negotiations on the reunification of Cyprus; supports a fair, comprehensive and viable settlement in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, international law and the EU acquis; reiterates its call on Turkey to commit and contribute to a comprehensive settlement, to beginimmediately withdrawing its troops from Cyprus, to transfer the sealed-off area of Famagusta to the UN, and to refrain from actions altering the demographic balance on the island; praises the important work of the Committee on Missing Persons; recognisVarosha to its lawful inhabitants in accordance with UNSC resolution 550 (1984) as an effort to pave the way for a democratic comprehensive settlement, and echoes the rightesults of the Republic of Cyprus to enter into bilateral agreements concerning its exclusive economic zone; urges Turkey to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes, and to refrain from any threat or action which might have negative effects on good neighbourly relationsFact-finding Visit by the Committee on Petitions to Famagusta; urges Turkey to refrain from actions altering the demographic balance on the island through its policy of illegal settlement;
Amendment 306 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Expresses concern about the rising tensions in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean which are not conducive to good neighbourly relations and undermine regional stability and security; urges the Turkish Government to end the repeated violations of Greek airspace and territorial waters, as well as Turkish military aircraft flights over Greek islands; condemns provocative acts and declarations by Turkish officials, especially the collision of a Hellenic Coast Guard vessel, co-financed with European funds by a Turkish patrol boat, inside the Greek territorial waters of the islets of Imia;
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Praises the important work of the Committee on Missing Persons and calls on Turkey to allow unconditional and full access to military zones and all relevant sites and to provide relevant information from its military and other archives, thus maximising the effectiveness of the excavations conducted by the CMP;
Amendment 314 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19 b. Underlines the lawful right of the Republic of Cyprus to enter into bilateral agreements concerning its exclusive economic zone, explore and exploit its natural resources and reiterates its calls on Turkey to show restraint, to refrain from any further threat or action and to respect Cyprus’ sovereignty over its territorial sea and Cyprus’ sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone; expresses serious concern over Turkey's renewed threats and provocations; urges Turkey to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with the United Nations Charter, and to refrain from any threat or action which might have negative effects on good neighbourly relations;
Amendment 316 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19 b. Reiterates its regret that the casus belli threat declared by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in 1995 against Greece has not yet been withdrawn and it is repeated occasionally by Turkish Officials;
Amendment 317 #
19 c. Calls on Turkey to sign and ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which has been signed and ratified by the EU and its 28 Member States, without further delay; reiterates its call on Turkey to respect the sovereignty and sovereign rights of Member States over their territorial sea and airspace and their lawful right to enter into bilateral agreements and to explore and exploit natural resources in accordance with the EU acquis and international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea;
Amendment 318 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 d (new)
Paragraph 19 d (new)
19 d. Reiterates relevant ECtHR decisions and calls on the Turkish Government to immediately stop the violation of the human rights of the Cypriot citizens and stop depriving them of the enjoyment and exercise of their property, religious and other human rights stemming from the constitutional order of the Republic of Cyprus and the acquis communautaire, as well as the fundamental principles and values of the EU;