26 Amendments of Dietmar KÖSTER related to 2021/2250(INI)
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7
Citation 7
— having regard to the relevant resolutions by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, including the interim resolution of 2 December 2021 on the execution of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in Kavala against Turkey, the interim resolution of 2 December 2021 on the execution of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in Selahattin Demirtaş v Turkey (No. 2), and the interim resolution of 2 February 2022 on the execution of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in Kavala against Turkey, and the resolution of 17 October 2007 and the interim resolution of 9 March 2009 and the following 9 decisions on the execution of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in Ülke v. Turkey;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
— having regard to the report of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on ‘Restrictions on NGO activities in Council of Europe Member States';1a _________________ 1a PACE report on Restrictions on NGO activities in Council of Europe Member States, accessible at https://assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/XRef/Xref -XML2HTML-en.asp?fileid=28906⟨=en
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas bans on Pride events have constituted significant curtailment to the freedom of association and expression for LGTBI persons, justified by the ‘need to protect participants against terror threats’, ‘protection of public morals’, ‘social sensitivities’, the risk of these events ‘inciting hatred and enmity’ or to ‘prevent crimes being committed’; whereas these reasons constitute deliberate attempts at undermining international human rights obligations and reflect the need for progress on protection of LGBTI people, namely in the fields of freedom of peaceful assembly, association and expression;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Insists that the crucial area of fundamental rights and freedoms, which is at the core of the accession process, cannot be disconnected and isolated from overall relations with the EU and stresses that for Parliament, it remains the main obstacle to further progress on any positive agenda that could be offered to Turkey; considers that the adoption on March 2021 of an Action Plan on Human Rights shows a willingness to improve the overall situation of fundamental rights in Turkey; notes nevertheless that the commitment of the government will be measured by the extent of its implementation and the reforms undertaken to ensure its application to all citizens without discrimination;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes the importance of upholding the freedom of assembly in Turkey, which is enshrined in its constitution and a positive obligation derived from its membership of the European Convention of Human Rights;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Reiterates its serious concern about the disproportionate and arbitrary measures curtailing freedom of expression; welcomes the further decrease in the number of journalists in prison in Turkey; expresses at the same time serious concern about the continuation of arbitrary arrest of journalists;
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Expresses concern about the growing number of applications regarding conscientious objection at the Constitutional Court since the first application in 2017 that have been pending without any essential communication with the applicants;
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Regrets the sustained pressureharassment onf civil society and human rights defenders and the continuously shrinking space to operate freely in Turkey; notes the grave impediment on their freedom to associate peacefully through the Law on Preventing Financing of Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction; is concerned by the observations from the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights and Parliamentary Assembly, who point that human rights organisations were the first to be audited pursuant to this law; urges Turkey to review the articles of the Law which are not related to the prevention of financing or proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, in particular those articles which unduly target civil society;
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Urges the Turkish Government to implement the individual and general measures enshrined in the interim resolution concerning conscientious objection, calling on the Turkish government to constitutionally adopt conscientious objection as an exercise of freedom of thought, conscience and religion in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee of Ministers; urges to make necessary legal amendments to cease the cycle of prosecutions and punishments, as well as all the restrictions that prevents conscientious objectors to vote and to be elected, to work at state and private sectors, to have a bank account, to continue their higher education, to travel and accommodate freely, i.e. continue a living as equal citizens;
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Expresses deep concern about the state-sponsored deterioration in the human rights situation for LGBTI people, in particular with regard to physical attackhate crimes – especially against transgender persons –, the protracted bans on Pride marches across the country, restrictions on the freedoms of assembly, association and expression, and censorship in the media; and online; recalls the need to adopt measures to ensure all citizens can enjoy these freedom safely; calls on authorities to align its criminal legislation concerning homophobic and transphobic hate crime with ECRI’s General Policy Recommendation 7,1aas requested by ECRI in its 2019 conclusions1b; urges authorities to lift the protracted bans on Pride events; _________________ 1a ECRI General Policy Recommendation No. 7 on National Legislation to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, accessible at https://rm.coe.int/ecri- general-policy-recommendation-no-7- revised-on-national-legislatio/16808b5aae 1b ECRI country monitoring conclusions on Turkey, accessible at https://rm.coe.int/interim-follow-up- conclusions-on-turkey-5th-monitoring- cycle-/168094ce03
Amendment 303 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Notes with concern the increasing hate speech and smear campaigns by high-ranking central government and public officials against LGBTI persons; considers that this constitutes a worrying trend and a powerful enabler of increased harassment, discrimination and potential violence; recalls that Turkey’s obligations under the ECHR entail a responsibility to combat discrimination and violence against LGBTI persons and urges authorities to deliver on their commitments;
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15 b. Highlights the pattern of use of judicial proceedings to silence human rights defenders, NGOs and lawyers and to curtail activism, in particular LGBTI rights defenders;1a notes the examples of the criminal investigations against the Istanbul, Ankara and Diyarbakir bar associations and the case of the participants in the 2019 METU Pride; welcomes the acquittal of the latter; calls on Turkey to drop all charges against peaceful participants of LGBTI events; _________________ 1a Letter of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe of 17 June 2021 concerning the human rights of LGBTI people, accessible at https://rm.coe.int/letter-to-mr-suleyman- soylu-minister-of-interior-and-mr- abdulhamit-gul/1680a2e486
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 c (new)
Paragraph 15 c (new)
Amendment 334 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Recognises that Turkey has legitimate security concerns and the right to fight terrorism; stresses, nevertheless, that this must be done with full respect for the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms; reiterates its firm and unambiguous condemnation of the violent terrorist attacks by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been on the EU list of terrorist organisations since 2002; calls on Turkey to resume the peace process it had with the Kurdish movement between 2013 and 2015 which gave hope for a peaceful resolution of the conflict; urges Turkey therefore to reinitiate the dialogue with the Kurdish movement;
Amendment 349 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. CIs concerned about Turkey’s refusal to implement obligations underlined in reports of the Committee for Prevention of Torture; calls on Turkey to abide by a zero- tolerance policy on torture and to duly investigate persistent and credible reports of torture, ill-treatment and inhumane or degrading treatment in custody, in order to put an end to impunity and hold those responsible to account;
Amendment 352 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20 a. Urges that Turkey protects all asylum-seekers and refugees from refoulement, ensuring that displaced populations are guaranteed the right to ongoing protection in line with international standards; is in this regard deeply concerned about violent pushbacks of Afghan asylum-seekers in the East of Turkey into Iran, and requests that Turkey, in line with the UNHCR guidance note on the International Protection Needs of People Fleeing Afghanistan provide Afghans with a legal basis to stay in Turkey; expresses concern that Turkey has resumed charter flights to repatriate Afghan nationals back to Afghanistan, whilst conditions for voluntary repatriation cannot yet be met;
Amendment 358 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20 b. Supports increased access to economic opportunities for refugees in Turkey, in order to ensure economic resilience of vulnerable refugee families to secure a sustainable living;
Amendment 359 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 c (new)
Paragraph 20 c (new)
20 c. Is concerned about the increasing number of unregistered asylum-seekers in Turkey who are denied access to basic protection due to increasingly restrictive measures; is concerned about the lack of access to basic services such as employment, education, healthcare and protection; is deeply concerned about the alarming trend of violence against refugees in Turkey and urges Turkey to strongly condemn all acts of violence against asylum-seekers, refugees and migrants;
Amendment 362 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 d (new)
Paragraph 20 d (new)
20 d. Is concerned about the growing risk of statelessness for a generation of Syrian children born in Turkey when unable to obtain either Turkish or Syrian citizenship; and thus urges Turkey to abide by its legal safeguards against statelessness which includes the 1954 Convention on the Status of Statelessness Persons and Article (8) of Turkish Citizenship Law;
Amendment 364 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 e (new)
Paragraph 20 e (new)
20 e. Supports increased quality access to protection services for specific vulnerable groups, such as refugees with disabilities and LGBTQI+ refugees;
Amendment 365 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 f (new)
Paragraph 20 f (new)
20 f. Urges Turkey to provide increased access to international and national non- governmental organisations to deportation centres to monitor and provide assistance to those in process of being returned;
Amendment 374 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Commends the efforts made by Turkey to continue hosting the largest refugee population in the world; welcomes, in this regard, the continued provision of EU funding for refugees and host communities in Turkey, and expresses its commitment to sustain this support in the future; urges the Turkish government to ensure that funding covers both the immediate humanitarian needs of refugees, particularly in light of deteriorating economic conditions in Turkey, as well as longer-term resilience and local inclusion programmes; supports the funding of Turkish municipalities by the EU which have to meet the support of all migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees;
Amendment 389 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Believes that resettlement must remain an option for refugees in Turkey and that resettlement programmes can be most effective with a comprehensive registration process; urges Turkey and the EU to ensure that those refugees that would most benefit from resettlement, including the elderly and those with chronic illnesses, are prioritised for resettlement places;
Amendment 402 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21 b. Notes that refugees should not be influenced or encouraged to return to potentially unsafe locations and countries due to hostile or deteriorating living conditions in Turkey; underlines that those who choose to return should be fully informed of the risks and consequences of doing so;
Amendment 405 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 c (new)
Paragraph 21 c (new)
21 c. Expresses serious concern about the Turkish government’s use of its influence abroad to abduct its citizens in violation of international law, undermining domestic legal procedures for extradition;
Amendment 474 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Calls on Turkey to withdraw its troops from Northern Syria which it is illegally occupying outside of any UN mandate; condemns Turkey’s illegal transfers of Kurdish Syrians from occupied Northern Syria to Turkey for detention and prosecution in violation of Turkey’s international obligations under the Geneva Conventions; urges that all Syrian detainees who have been transferred to Turkey be immediately repatriated to the occupied territories in Syria; is worried that Turkey’s ongoing displacements could amount to ethnic cleansing against the Syrian Kurdish population; stresses that Turkey’s illegal invasion and occupation has jeopardised peace in the region; firmly condemns Turkey’s use of Syrian mercenaries in conflicts in Libya and Nagorno- Karabakh, in violation of international law;