30 Amendments of Fabio Massimo CASTALDO related to 2016/2308(INI)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1
Citation 1
— having regard to its previous resolutions, in particular those of 24 November 2016 on EU-Turkey relations1 , and 27 October 2016 on the situation of journalists in Turkey2 , and of 13 November 2014 on Turkey's actions creating tensions in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Cyprus, _________________ 1 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0450. 2 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0423.
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8
Citation 8
— 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 the need for Turkey to fulproceed to the normalisation of its relations with all Member States and to fully and effectively implement the Additional Protocol to the Ankara Agreement to all Member States by removing all obstacles to the free movement of goods, including restrictions on means of transport, without prejudice and discrimination,
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10
Citation 10
— 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 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18
Citation 18
— having regard to the crisis in Syria, the efforts towards a ceasefire and a peaceful settlement, and Turkey’s obligations to enhance stability and promote good neighbourly relations through intensive efforts in order to resolve outstanding bilateral issues, disputes and conflicts with the neighbouring countries over land and maritime borders and airspace, in accordance with the UN Charter and the UNCLOS,
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 20 a (new)
Citation 20 a (new)
- having regard to the Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR),"The human rights situation in South-East Turkey", of February 2017,
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 a (new)
Citation 21 a (new)
- having regard to the resolution 2156 of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE): "The functioning of democratic institutions in Turkey", of 25 April 2017,
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines, however, that measures taken under the state of emergency had large-scale, disproportionate and long- lasting negative effects on the protection of fundamental freedoms in the country; condemns the collective dismissal of civil servants, the mass liquidation of media outlets, the arrests of journalists, academics, judges, human rights defenders, elected officials and ordinary citizens, and the confiscation of property and passports on the basis of emergency decree laws without individualised decisions, and without the possibility of timely judicial review; deplores, in this context, that the parliament's legislative prerogatives have been seriously undermined;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Takes note of the outcome of the referendum that took place on 16 April 2017, held under the state of emergency and in circumstances that prevented a fair campaign, as the two sides did not enjoy equal opportunities; supports an independent evaluation of all claims regarding irregularities; notes the remarks of the Venice Commission on the constitutional reform, and underlines that the proposed constitutional amendments do not respect the fundamental principles of the separation of powers and sufficient checks and balances, and are not in line with the Copenhagen criteria; welcomes the PACE decision to reopen a monitoring procedure on the functioning of democratic institutions in Turkey;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to suspend thimmediately freeze accession talks with Turkey and to formally and totally suspend them if the constitutional package is implemented unchanged;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. NotesIs gravely concerned that measures undertaken following the declaration of the state of emergency have targeted alleged members/supporters of the Gülen movement, dissent in general and political parties of the opposition in particular; strongly condemns the imprisonment of 13 MPs belonging to the People’s Democratic Party (HDP), including its co-chairs, and of 90 Kurdish municipal mayors; expresses its great concern about the severe situation of more than one hundred political prisoners, including 34 women, who are on indefinite and non-alternate hunger strike; 13 of them entered a critical stage being on hunger strike since 15 February 2017, and on the verge of irreversible damage on their health; urges the Turkish Government to lift the state of emergency immediately; underlines that the reintroduction of the death penalty would violate Turkey’s international commitments and lead to an immediate end to the EU accession talks;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Condemns strongly the violations of freedom of expression and the serious infringements of media freedom, including the disproportionate bannings of media sites and social media; notes with concern the closure of around 170 media outlets - including almost all Kurdish-language outlets - and the jailing of more than 150 journalists; deplores Turkey's decision to block the access to Wikipedia and regrets the decision of the court to reject itsappeal, thus confirming the ban of the website; recalls that a free and pluralistic press is an essential component of any democracy and urges the Turkish government to release all journalists immediately and take urgent measures to restore freedom of expression and of the media in accordance with the recommendations of Venice Commission;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. ECondemns Turkey's use of excessive force characterized by shelling densely populated areas with heavy artillery and tanks in South-East Turkey as graphically evidenced by OHCHR 2017 report and expresses its serious concern at the continuously deteriorating situation in south-east Turkey, especially in the areasthat area, especially where curfews were imposed, where some 2 000 people were reportedly killed in the context of security operations and an estimated half a million people became displaced in the period from July 2015 to December 2016; notes that local prosecutors have consistently refused to open investigations into the reported killings and that not a single suspect was apprehended and not a single individual was prosecuted; is convinced that only a fair political settlement of the Kurdish question can bring sustainable stability and prosperity both to the area and to Turkey as a whole; notes that a series of laws, including Law No. 6722 adopted on 23 June 2016, have created an atmosphere of ‘'systematic impunity’' for the security forces; regrets the decision of the Turkish Parliament to waive the immunity of a large number of MPs154 MPs, including 55 out 59 HDP parliamentarians, unconstitutionally, paving the way for the arrests of opposition politicians and seriously damaging the Parliament's image as a democratic institution;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Is concerned that judges and prosecutors continue to come under strong political pressure and that many have been dismissed or arrested; calls on Turkey to restore and implement all legal guarantees to ensure full respect for the independence of the judiciary, including by amending the law on the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) in order to reduce the executive’'s influence within that Council; is particularly concerned that ‘'criminal judges of peace’' appear to have been transformed into an instrument of harassment to stifle opposition, as well as controlling the information available to the general public; laments the severe restrictions placed on access to lawyers by detainees; urges the Turkish authorities to ensure that its legislation complies with international standards guaranteeing the rule of law and human rights;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes the deepening of EU- Turkey relations in key areas of joint interest, such as counter-terrorism, migration, energy, the economy and trade; believes EU-Turkey cooperation in these areas to be an investment in the stability and prosperity of both Turkey and the EU; considers, however, that cooperation in these areas must form part of a broad, frank and comprehensive bilateral relationship, and that they cannot be addressed properly while ignoring the massive problems arising with regard to the rule of law and respect for human rights in Turkey;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Believes that strengthening trade relations could bring concrete benefits to citizens in Turkey and the EU, and therefore support but believe that such strengthening should be set against the background of a common will of the parties to share the set of values and principles laid down in the EU's founding treaties, including the Charter of Fundamental Rights, and to work together to implement them fully and comprehensively; notes the Commission’s proposal to start negotiations on the upgrading of the Customs Union; reiterates that the EU is Turkey’s main trading partner and that two thirds of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Turkey comes from EU Member States; considers the involvement of social partners in negotiations as crucial; calls on the Commission to include political benchmarkclauses on human rights and fundamental freedoms in the upgraded Customs Union, making them a key conditionality for the conclusion of the agreement;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 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 259 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Notes that visa liberalisation is important for the Turkish population and will enhance people-to-people contacts; encouragescalls on the Turkish Government to withdraw unilateral declarations and to comply with the finall outstanding criteria, including revision of its anti-terrorism legislation; calls on the Turkish Government to fully and effectively implement both the Visa Liberalisation Road Map and the Readmission Agreement vis-à-vis all Member States, including cooperation on JHA issues and non-discriminatory access to the Turkish territory for the citizens of all EU Member States;
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on the Commission to take into account the latest developments in Turkey when conducting the mid-term review of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) funds in 2017, and to suspend all pre-accession funds if, given that Turkey is no longer sufficiently compliesying with the EU’s Copenhagen criteria; calls on the Commission to use those funds to support Turkish civil society and to invest more in people-to-people exchange programmes, such as Erasmus+ for students;
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Calls on European Council for EU embargo on arms sales to Turkey, following the decision of Germany and Austria;
Amendment 315 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Commends the engagement by the Turkish Government and the hospitality shown by the population in hosting around 3 million refugees; notes the EU-Turkey statement on migration, which was evidently yet again not subject to parliamentary scrutiny, and urges the Member States to initiate the voluntary resettlement scheme for the most vulnerable refugees in Turkey; calls on the Commission to ensure long-term investment in both refugees and their host communities in Turkey; encourages the Turkish Government to grant work permits to all Syrian refugees; calls on Ankara to keep up its patrolling efforts in the Aegean and to implement fully the bilateral readmission agreements signed with Bulgaria and Greece;
Amendment 335 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Calls upon the Turkish government to halt its plans for the construction of the Akkuyuy nuclear power plant; points out that the envisaged site is located in a region prone to severe earthquakes, hence posing a major threat not only to Turkey but to the Mediterranean region as a whole; requests accordingly that the Turkish government join the Espoo Convention, which commits parties to notifying and consulting each other on major projects under consideration that are likely to have a significant adverse environmental impact across boundaries; asks the Turkish government to involve, or at least consult, the governments of its neighbouring countries, such as Greece and Cyprus, during any further developments in the Akkuyuy venture;
Amendment 344 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18 b. 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 345 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18 c. Recalls its position adopted in the report on the implementation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy in 2016 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 347 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Underlines that a settlement of the Cyprus problem would have a positive impact on the entire region, while first and foremost benefiting both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, would have a positive impact on the entire region; praises the leaders of the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots communities in Cyprus for having achieved major progress in the settlement talks; welcomes the exchange of preferred maps, thus far unprecedented, and the first international conference held with the guarantor powers; supports thfirst international conference held at Geneva with the guarantor powers and the participation of the EU; regrets the lack of tangible progress during the discussion of security-related aspects, due to the unproductive stance demonstrated by Turkey; supports a just, viable and comprehensive settlement based on a bi- communal, bi-zonal federation with political equality, a single international legal personality, single sovereignty and single citizenship with political equality between the two communities, in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutionss set out in the relevant Security Council resolutions and High Level agreements, with a single international legal personality, single sovereignty and single citizenship , in line with international law and on the basis of respect for the principles on which the Union is founded and the acquis communautaire; welcomes the intensified engagement by the parties to achieve the settlement of the Cyprus problem; expectscalls on Turkey to show activecomply with the EU declaration issued on September 21,2005 and to actively and concretely support for the negotiations, and reiterates that Turkey’s commitment and contribution to a comprehensive settlement remain crucial; praises the important work of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP), and calls on Turkey to allow access to all relevant sites and to assist the CMP by providing information from its military archivecalls on Turkey to immediately withdraw its troops from Cyprus and to transfer Varosha to the UN and to its lawful inhabitants in accordance with UNSC resolution 550 (1984) as an effort to pave the way for a democratic comprehensive settlement; notes that the EU has much to gain from a viable and functional settlement of the Cyprus problem, thus creating the conditions for good neighbourly relations and improvement in EU-Turkey relations;
Amendment 367 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Praises the important work of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP), and calls on Turkey to allow unconditional 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; welcomes, in this respect, the appointment of EP standing rapporteur on missing persons;
Amendment 376 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19 b. Calls on Turkey 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, the fulfilment of which could provide a significant boost to the negotiation process; 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 and calls for progress without any further delay;
Amendment 385 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c (new)
Paragraph 19 c (new)
19 c. Deplores Turkey's policy of illegal settlement and calls on Turkey to refrain from further settlement of Turkish citizens in the occupied areas of Cyprus, which is contrary to the Geneva Convention and the principles of international law; urges Turkey to terminate all actions that alter the demographic balance on the island thus impeding a future solution;
Amendment 389 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 d (new)
Paragraph 19 d (new)
19 d. Reiterates that Turkey needs to commit itself unequivocally to good neighbourly relations, international agreements and to peaceful settlement of bilateral disputes in accordance with the United Nations Charter, having recourse, if necessary, to the International Court of Justice; expresses serious concern over Turkey's renewed threats and provocations as well its decision to issue a NAVTEX purporting to reserve an area within the territorial sea, continental shelf and exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Cyprus; urges Turkey to refrain from any further threat or action which might lead to friction and crisis and might have negative effects on the negotiations for ending the unacceptable status quo; 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 393 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 e (new)
Paragraph 19 e (new)
19 e. 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;
Amendment 395 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 f (new)
Paragraph 19 f (new)
19 f. Is concerned about reports indicating the collaboration of Turkey with ISIL, including the purchase of oil products and urges Turkey to refrain from such practices;