42 Amendments of Nacho SÁNCHEZ AMOR related to 2021/2250(INI)
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas economic integration with the EU remained high and Turkey positioned as the EU’s sixth largest trading partner in 2020, while the EU remains by far Turkey’s largest trading partner and its largest source of foreign direct investment(FDI); whereas Turkey is currently undergoing economic and financial difficulties which exacerbates the economic impact of the pandemic;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. whereas Turkey hosts the largest refugee population in the world, with almost 4 million registered refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, and whereas the EU-funding to these communities has proven its value for assisting Turkey in swiftly responding to the humanitarian and development needs of refugees and their host communities;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas over the past year, EU- Turkey relations have on average remained stable, as enhanced cooperation and dialogue on a number of issues have coexisted with regular conflicts; whereas this report reflects this situation by welcoming positive developments and pointing to further potential in the relationship, while signalling remaining problems, in particular as regards the rule of law and fundamental rights; whereas if this report is to assess Turkey’s progress or lack of progress in terms of human rights and rule of law, as the core of the accession process, it is important to describe the concrete mechanisms of erosion of freedoms that, taken together, lead to this general backsliding with regard to European standards; whereas this approach means going beyond a long list of citizens and groups who are suffering as a result of these decisions to identifying the operators and bodies of the public authorities responsible of this worrying situation in their particular area of action; whereas generic criticism must be replaced by targeted criticism;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Reiterates its concern about the persistent distance between the EU and Turkey, despite it being a candidate country, in terms of values and standards, and the continuing lack of political will to carry out the necessary reforms to address, in particular, the serious concerns about the rule of law and fundamental rights that continue to negatively affect the accession process; considers that without clear progress in this field, Parliament cannot envisage any resumption of accession negotiations with Turkey, which have effectively been at a standstill since 2018; notes that it does not find arguments at this stage to modify its conditional position concerning the formal suspension of the accession negotiations with Turkey;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes, however, that there has been a slight improvement over the past year in overall EU-Turkey relations, which have on average remained stable, as enhanced cooperation and dialogue on a number of issues have coexisted with regular conflicts; expresses its hope that this pattern of ‘conflictual cooperation’ can be overcome and replaced with a more positive dynamic; welcomes the recent high-level dialogues between EU-Turkey on climate change on 16 September 2021, Turkey formulating its own Green Deal and putting in place ambitious domestic climate policies as well as Turkey ratifying the Paris Agreement on 6 October 2021; welcomes the high-level dialogue on migration and security on 12 October 2021 focused on strengthening cooperation on managing migration, combating human trafficking and organised crime, and preventing terrorist attacks; welcomes the high-level dialogue on public health of 1 December 2021 discussing enhanced cooperation on cross-border health threats, including in the short-term in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic; commends, in this context, the mutual recognition of COVID-19 certificates in August 2021;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Notes that, while accession talks remain at a standstill, Turkey updated its National Action Plan for the EU Accession (NAP)to cover the years 2021- 2023; further notes progress made by Turkey in closer alignment with the EU acquis in areas such as competition legislation, the national qualifications system as well as in further aligning with the European Research Area (ERA) and a related better performance of Turkey in Horizon 2020;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Reiterates its firm conviction that Turkey is a country of strategic relevance in political, economic and foreign policy terms, a partner that is key for the stability of the wider region, and an ally with which the EU wishes to pursue the best possible relations; welcomes, in this view, the recent statements expressed at the highest level by the Turkish authorities about the recommitment of the Turkish Government to the EU path, but urges the Turkish authorities to put their words into action and demonstrate this commitment with specific facts and decisions; believes that, if conditions allow, dialogue with Turkish authorities and counterparts at all levels should be further reinforced as a means to contribute to the rebuilding of trust and diminish the possibilities of future confrontations, in line with the European Council’s position to engage with Turkey in a phased, proportionate and reversible manner; calls in this view on the Council to unblock the suspended high level political dialogue, the high level sectoral dialogues on economy, energy and transport, as well as the EU-Turkey Association Council while bearing in mind that further progress in any field should also be closely linked to improvements in the situation of fundamental freedoms and rule of law;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Expresses concern over the current economic situation in Turkey, which through soaring inflation and a constantly rising cost of living is pushing a high and increasing number of people into hardship and poverty; notes that while the current situation has been developing over a number of years, it turned into a currency crisis in December 2021, exacerbating existing pandemic-related impacts in the economy; is concerned by the lack of confidence in purportedly independent bodies such as the Central Bank and the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜIK); notes in this regard that the operational independence of both institutions is a key criterion for EU accession; further highlights that the poor performance of Turkey with regard to the respect to the rule of law has also a severe impact on the reputational image of the country and that the lack of legal certainty has the potential to seriously affect the ability of the country to attract foreign investments;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Notes that in October 2021 the Financial Action Task Force added Turkey to the list of jurisdictions deemed incapable of tackling money laundering terrorist financing, and proliferation financing; expresses its hope that Turkey can rapidly display the necessary progress on improving the implementation of relevant AML/CFT measures;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Deplores the continued deterioration of the human rights situation in Turkey, including backsliding on fundamental freedoms, democracy and the rule of law; considers that the current repressive form of rule, whose main pillars are abuse of the legal framework - particularly through the application of terrorism charges and by restriction of freedom of expression- and a lack of independence of the judiciary, is a deliberate, relentless and systematic state policy developed to suppress any critical activities either-directly or through a chilling effect; is appalled by the fact that in order to pursue this policy, the Turkish state authorities are ready to blatantly and persistently disregard their international and domestic legal obligations, such as those derived from Turkey’s membership of the Council of Europe;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Reiterates its strong condemnation of Turkey’s withdrawal, by presidential decree, from the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention); a decision that is particularly alarming against the background of continuing high number of femicides in the country and that represents a major setback to efforts to promote women’s rights in the country; reiterates its call on Turkey’s Government to reverse this incomprehensible decision and, in the meantime, to prevent and combat violence against all women and girls, support survivors, and hold abusers to account by fully implementing Turkey’s own Law no. 6284 and all measures identified in the relevant ECtHR jurisprudence;
Amendment 209 #
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; is deeply worried by the routine use and continued extension of bans on protests and demonstration by provincial governors, and particularly by the Governor’s ban that has been in place for over five years in Van Province; deplores the targeting of journalists at public protests by Turkish police forces including through the April 2021 directive by Turkey’s Security General Directorate (EGM), instructing Turkish police forces to prevent press recordings of protests and demonstrations that was subsequently suspended by the Council of State citing a restriction of fundamental rights; regrets the recurrent use of excessive force to suppress peaceful demonstrations amidst an overall general impunity of law enforcement officials; deplores the ongoing trial against the Cumartesi Anneleri (Saturday Mothers) at the Istanbul 21st Criminal Court of First Instance in relation to the violent dispersal of their 700th vigil on 25 August 2018; reiterates its call on the authorities to drop charges against the students of Boğaziçi University prosecuted for exercising their right to peaceful assembly, and highlights the relevance of ensuring academic freedom and the autonomy of universities; is concerned in this regard by the recent decision to remove three elected deans in Boğaziçi University, whose current rector was appointed by Presidential decree in August 2021;
Amendment 216 #
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; and the increase in the number of acquittals in cases against journalists observed in the last period of 2021; welcomes the recent rulings of the Council of State halting the execution of some articles of the Press Card Regulations and the police circular that had banned audio-visual recordings at public demonstrations; notes however that the practice of investigating and prosecuting people on charges such as insulting the President or on broadly- worded and vague terrorism charges continues; is appalled by the gross abuse of Article 299 of Turkish Penal Code on insulting the President which can carry a jail sentence of between one and four years; finds completely disproportionate that since 2014, the first year of President Erdoğan’s term in office, more than 160,000 investigations have been launched, more than 35,500 cases were filed and there were more than12,800 convictions over insulting the president; calls on Turkey’s authorities to apply the rulings by the European Court on Human Rights and to follow the Venice Commission recommendations in order to bring Turkish law on this matter in line with the Convention; is particularly worried by the case of journalist Sedef Kabaş, who after being publicly targeted by senior government officials was arrested during a midnight raid on January 22nd, by the order of Istanbul10th Criminal Court of Peace judge, and is kept in pre-trial detention at the Bakırköy Women's Prison in İstanbul for having allegedly insulted the President on a live broadcast on TELE1 TV on 14 January 2022; is appalled by the fact that the Istanbul 36th Criminal Court of First Instance of the indictment has recently accepted the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office for which Ms Kabaş will face up to 12 years and 10 months in prison on the offenses charged; finds this case a clear example of the abusive use of Article 299 with an aim of having a chilling effect on any journalist or citizen who could express criticism towards the President or government; expresses concerns about the Presidential circular on "Press and Broadcasting Activities" published on 28 January 2022 as it could imply unlawful restrictions to fundamental rights and freedoms;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Asserts that the continued prosecution, censorship and harassment of journalists and independent media remains an issue of concern; calls on the chair of the Turkish Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) to discontinue the excessive imposition of fines and broadcasting bans restricting the legitimate freedom of expression of Turkish journalists and broadcasters; is concerned by the RTÜK’s decision to expand government control over international press outlets by applying broadcasting requirements to Deutsche Welle, Euronews and Voice of America; calls on the chair of the Press Advertising Agency (BIK) to ensure that bans on public advertising do not serve to suppress independent media reporting; calls on the Director of Communications at the Turkish Presidency, to ensure the timely processing of press card applications and to discontinue the use of criminal complaints and belligerent rhetoric targeting journalists; calls on the Turkish Grand National Assembly to follow-up on the Turkish Constitutional Court’s judgement of January 2022 requesting to reformulate Article 9 of the Internet Law to protect the freedoms of expression and the press;
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Takes note of the adoption of the fourth and fifth judicial packages in Turkey during 2021 which contain steps in the right direction although modest and not addressing the main concerns; asserts, however, that the current problems stem not only from problematic legislation, but are often caused by a failure to implement existing adequate provisions; remains concerned about the erosion of the rule of law and judicial independence in Turkey; notes in this regard the appointment to the Turkish Constitutional Court in January 2021 of a judge who had served just twenty days on the Court of Cassation and who had previously acted as Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor, being involved in the controversial cases brought against Osman Kavala, the Gezi Park protestors, and journalists Can Dündar and Erdem Gül, among others; points out the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK), as the main element of concern with regard to the lack of judicial independence; reiterates its call for the shortcomings in the structure and process for the selection of the members of this Council to be addressed with a view to ensuring its independence and putting an end to its arbitrary decisions;
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Expresses concern about the high and growing number of applications lodged at the Constitutional Court concerning violations of constitutional rights and the lack of changes implemented when such violations are revealed; notes the recent statements by the President of the Constitutional Court, recognizing that over 73% of the more than 66.000 applications received in 2021 concerned the right for a fair trial, describing this as a “dire situation”; questions the changes in the procedural rules of the court allowing to defer decisions by a year;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Notes the adoption of a new human rights action plan by the Turkish authorities in March 2021 as welcome in principle, even though it leaves a number of underlying issues unaddressed; calls on the Turkish government to make the action plan real by inter alia discontinuing the selective interpretation of the Treaty of Lausanne’s provisions on minority rights, including by granting legal personality and education rights to any religious minority whether Muslim, Christian or other; calls on Turkey’s government to step up ongoing efforts related, among others, to the public recognition of the Alevi identity, the legal status of cemevis and their funding, in compliance with relevant ECtHR judgments on compulsory religion and ethics classes and Alevi worship places; urges Turkey’s authorities to increase their efforts to effectively address the dire situation of Roma, in particular with regard to housing and education, as they continue to suffer severe levels of poverty, unemployment, discrimination and exclusion;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12 b. Calls on the full implementation of ECtHR judgments regarding conscientious objection; notes in this regard the action plan submitted by Turkish authorities to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and encourages them to develop further measures to ensure, through the necessary legislation, a fair and accessible exercise of the right to conscientious objection to military service;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Regrets the sustained pressure on civil society and human rights defenders and the continuously shrinking space to operate freely in Turkey; denounces the intimidation, harassment and violence exerted against human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, academics, doctors who have provided assistance to the victims of torture, and other activists, especially those in the Kurdish community, and the arbitrary closure of civil society organisations, including prominent human rights non- governmental organisations and media; reiterates its call on Turkey’s government to review the Law on Preventing Financing of Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction of December 2020, which grants the Turkish Interior Ministry and the president extensive authority to restrict the activities of non- governmental organisations, business partnerships, independent groups and associations and appears to be aimed at further limiting, restricting and controlling civil society; calls on the EU and its Member States to exert greater pressure on the Turkish Government and to step up their support for human rights defenders and independent civil society in Turkey, including through relevant financial instruments; calls on the Commission to provide, through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) III and relevant programmes of the NDICI-Global Europe instrument, sufficient funding for civil society, non- state actors and people-to-people contacts in order to prioritise the pro-democracy efforts; calls on the Commission to explore the funding of local governments concerning projects of mutual interest;
Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Continues to urge the Turkish Government to release Osman Kavala after more than four years of detention; reiterates its call on the Turkish authorities to abide by the final judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in this case; believes that he is unlawfully held in prison on unjustified charges, for the purpose of silencing and deterring critical voices in Turkey; reiterates its call on the Turkish authorities to abide by the final judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in this case; deplores the continued efforts to extend Mr Kavala’s imprisonment through a series of complex evasive judicial tactics; points out as one of many irregularities the irrational merging of his case, known as the Gezi trial, with that of other defendants that saw their acquittals overturned over the course of 2021 which was signed off by the same judge who had requested it, from the 30th Heavy Penal Court, through a temporary appointment from one court to the other; condemns the repeated decisions by the Istanbul 30th Heavy Penal Court and the Istanbul13th Heavy Penal Court, newly responsible after merging of the cases, to prolong the detention of Mr Kavala in violation of his right to freedom and security, most recently on 21 February 2022, when the court also ruled to split once again both cases, in the last example of an incomprehensible judiciary process; is appalled by the recent final opinion by Istanbul Public Prosecutor requesting aggravated life sentence for Mr Kavala under article 312 of the Turkish Criminal Code (attempting to overthrow the Government by force and violence) even if the ECtHR has already and specifically dismissed this accusation in its rulings; takes note of the recurrent decisions by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe urging Mr Kavala’s release, which culminated in the historical launching of infringement proceedings through interim-resolutions in December 2021 and February 2022 over Turkey’s refusal to abide by the ECtHR’s final judgement;
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Expresses deep concern about the deterioration in the human rights situation for LGBTI people, in particular with regard to physical attacks – 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; deplores the increasingly homophobic stance of Turkey’s government and the use of hate speech against LGBTI people by high-level officials, that aims at stigmatizing and criminalizing the LGBTI community and can serve as breeding ground for hate crimes; follows with grave concern the ongoing trial against the Ankara Bar Association’s executive board and president, in which the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, seeks up to two years of prison for allegedly “insulting a public officer” when criticizing the head of the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), for the openly homophobic statements he made in 14 April 2020 stating that "Islam curses homosexuality (...) because it brings about disease and rots generations"; urges Turkey’s authorities to put in place the necessary legal measures to end any discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in line with article 21 of the EU Charter of fundamental rights;
Amendment 316 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Notes with great concern that the HDP and its party organisations have been specifically and continuously targeted by the Turkish authorities, leading to a situation where over 4 000 HDP members are currently in prison; continues to strongly condemn the continued detention since November 2016 of Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, the former co-chairs of the HDP and calls for their immediate release; is appalled by the Turkish authorities’ continuous disregard for and failure to apply the rulings of the ECtHR that oblige Turkey to immediately release Mr Demirtaş; condemns the indictment in pursuit of the HDP party’s closure and the banning from political life of 471 individuals including most of HDP’s current leadership, that was filed by the Chief Public Prosecutor of Turkey’s Court of Cassation, and accepted by unanimity by Turkey’s Constitutional Court in June 2021; notes with grave concern that the HDP dissolution case is the culmination of a crackdown on the party that has been going on for several years, and reiterates that banning the party would be a serious political mistake as an irreversible blow to pluralism and democratic principles; further highlights the role of the Ankara 22nd Heavy Penal Court in the so-called ‘Kobane case’ against 108 individuals including numerous HDP politicians, and points to the special role of the public prosecutor, and in particular demands clarity over the alleged political interference documented among the file; further questions how the court managed to examine and accept a 3530-page document in a week, without hearing defendants;
Amendment 322 #
17 a. Is concerned by the ongoing case against CHP Vice chair Gökçe Gökçen, in the framework of an investigation against the whole Executive Board of the party for the publication and distribution of a booklet; is shocked by the fact that, among the three lawsuits filed against her, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, charged her with the crime of physically assaulting the president, which comes with a minimum five year prison sentence, related to this brochure’s publication; notes that, while this lawsuit has been dismissed by the Ankara 18th High Criminal Court, the other two lawsuits for slander, incitement towards hatred and defamation against the President still continue; remains seriously concerned about the continuous political and judicial harassment of Canan Kaftancıoğlu, Istanbul provincial chair of the CHP, through a growing number of lawsuits against her;
Amendment 327 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Condemns the recurrent use of revocation of the parliamentary status of opposition MPs, which seriously damages the Turkish Parliament’s image as a democratic institution; recalls in this regard the recent judgement by the ECtHR of 1 February 2022 that ruled that the lifting in 2016 of the immunities of 40 MPs of the HDP infringed their right of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly; follows with concern the ongoing summaries of proceedings seeking to lift the legislative immunity of HDP Diyarbakır MP Semra Güzel for alleged "membership of a terrorist organization" related to pictures taken 5years ago;
Amendment 328 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Reiterates its condemnation of the decision made by the Turkish authorities to remove democratically elected mayors from office on the basis of questionable evidence and replace them with unelected trustees, which undermines local democracy; notes the political, legislative and administrative measures taken by the Turkish Government to paralyse municipalities run by the mayors of opposition parties in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir;
Amendment 332 #
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; regrets the overly broad anti- terrorism provisions and the abuse of the anti-terror measures that continue to be used as the means for the repression of human rights and of any critical voice in the country, including journalists, activists and political opponents; is deeply concerned by the decision of the Minister of Interior to open a special investigation into the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality affecting over 550 of its employees for alleged terror links, and by the renewed judicial harassment against Mr. Öztürk Türkdoğan, a prominent human rights lawyer and Co-Chairperson of the Human Rights Association (İHD) who is being tried by the Ankara 19th Heavy Penal Court under the accusation of “membership to an illegal armed organisation” following his indictment by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office;
Amendment 347 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. 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; welcomes the recent amendment in the regulation on prisons to replace “strip search” by “detailed search” and calls on the director of the General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Houses to ensure its full implementation “in respect for human dignity and honour”, as stated in the amended regulation, as there are still credible allegations on the continuation of this practice, including on minors visiting prisons; is deeply worried by the situation in Turkey’s prisons, particularly with regard to ill prisoners; deplores the continuation of the incarceration of former MP Aysel Tuğluk, despite her dire health condition, which has been determined by medical reports that are subsequently dismissed by the state-run Forensic Medicine Institution (ATE); is concerned by the harassment against HDP MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, recently prevented from travelling abroad and who was subject of an investigation by the Kandıra Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on charges of “insulting the state and its organs” for calling for the release of Aysel Tuğluk, that has recently been dropped;
Amendment 351 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20 a. Is appalled by the deafening silence of the Ombudsman in the face of the grave situation of fundamental rights in the country described above; calls on the Chief Ombudsman of Turkey, to ensure that his institution becomes a useful tool for Turkey’s citizens and active in strengthening the culture of seeking legal remedies as the institution has set out in its aims; regrets that neither the Ombudsman nor the Human Rights and Equality Institution of Turkey (HREI), as the two main human rights institutions in the country, are operationally, structurally or financially independent; urges Turkey’s authorities to take the appropriate measures in order for these institutions to comply, as relevant, with the Paris Principles and the Commission’s Recommendation on Standards for Equality Bodies; deplores that certain members of the HREI demonstrated a negative attitude towards basic human rights, including gender equality, women's rights, LGBTIQ rights, and expressed support for Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention; invites the Human Rights Inquiry Committee at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey to fully exert its extensive powers to investigate and seek accountability concerning violations of human rights in the country and to propose legislative amendments to ensure the alignment of the national legislation with the international conventions on human rights to which Turkey is party;
Amendment 367 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20 b. Expresses its strong appreciation for the clear support of the Turkish authorities for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and in condemning the unjustified Russian invasion and military aggression against Ukraine; stresses the vital importance of strong EU-Turkey cooperation in foreign and security policy in the current challenging times and welcomes in this view Turkey’s firm alignment with NATO and the EU; encourages Turkey to continue acting accordingly in light of its important role in regulating transit and navigation in the Straits of the Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara and the Bosporus in application of the Montreux Convention; welcomes the open disposition of Turkey’s government to act as a mediator among the parties in conflict; invites Turkey to reconsider, in light of the graveness of the situation, its principled position concerning the non-application of sanctions;
Amendment 369 #
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; insists on the need for both parties to comply with their respective commitments under the EU-Turkey Statement, including the resumption of the readmission of returnees from the Greek islands interrupted in March 2020 or the activation of the Voluntary Humanitarian Admission Scheme, and with fundamental rights as part of its implementation process; is concerned by continued reports of summary push-backs of Afghans and others apprehended attempting to cross the border, and arbitrary deportations to Syria, by signs of a rise in racist and xenophobic attacks against foreigners, as well as by the use of anti-refugee narrative by some politicians; insists that returns of refugees should only happen on a voluntary basis and in safety;
Amendment 387 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Believes that strengthening trade relations could bring concrete benefits to citizens in Turkey and the EU, and therefore,supports the Commission’s proposal to start negotiations on the upgrading of the Customs Union; warns, however, that such modernization of the Customs Union would need to be based on strong conditionality related to human rights and fundamental freedoms and that it can only be envisaged upon Turkey’s fully implementation of the Additional Protocol to extend the Ankara Agreement towards all Member States without reserve and in a non-discriminatory fashion; stresses that both parties must be fully aware of this democratic conditionality from the very onset of any negotiations, as the Parliament will not give its consent to the final agreement without results in this field;
Amendment 398 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21 b. Notes that visa liberalisation would constitute an important step towards facilitating people-to-people contacts and is of great importance for Turkish citizens, particularly for students, academics, business representatives and people with family ties in EU Member States; continues its support for the visa liberalisation process once the set conditions have been met and encourages the Turkish Government to fully comply with the 72 criteria identified in the visa liberalisation roadmap in a non- discriminatory manner; stresses that there has been very little real progress on the six outstanding benchmarks still to be fulfilled by Turkey; notes that the new Action Plan on Human Rights foresees the acceleration of the fulfilment of the remaining benchmarks; stresses that the revision of Turkey’s anti-terrorism legislation and Data Protection Law are key conditions for ensuring fundamental rights and freedoms;
Amendment 409 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Acknowledges that Turkey can pursue its own foreign policy in line with its interests and goals, but expects this policy to be defended through diplomacy and dialogue based on international law and, as a candidate country, to be increasingly aligned with that of the EU; is of the opinion that EU-Turkey cooperation in foreign and security policy is of fundamental importance and that future EU security structures, particularly in the neighbourhood, require strategic cooperation and improved communication with Turkey in order to be effective; regrets, against this background, the lowest level (14%) of alignment of Turkey with CFSP and CSDP among candidates countries, given the great potential that a joint action could play with regard to different challenges in the region and globally;
Amendment 427 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22 a. Commends the recent rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia with regard to the decision to start bilateral contacts, the appointment of Special Representatives and the resumption of flights between the two countries; considers this attempt a very positive development and encourages both sides to pursue these efforts with a view to fully normalize their relations; expresses hope that this may lead to a dynamic of normalization of relations in the South Caucasus;
Amendment 440 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Welcomes the decrease in tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean during the past year, but remains fully aware that these positive dynamics could be reversed at any moment while the underlying issues remain unresolved; deplores in this view the recent statements by Turkish authorities disputing Greece’s sovereignty over some of its islands as counterproductive and in contradiction to de-escalation efforts; continues to urge Turkey and all stakeholders involved to engage in a bona fide peaceful settlement of disputes and to refrain from any unilateral action or threats; continues, in particular, to call on all sides for a genuine collective engagement to negotiate the delimitation of EEZs and the continental shelf in good faith and in line with international rules and principles; reiterates its support to the proposal of the European Council for a multilateral conference on the Eastern Mediterranean and underscores that the Green Deal and the energy transition could provide for important opportunities for reaching cooperative and inclusive energy solutions in the Eastern Mediterranean;
Amendment 461 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Deplores the fact that the unresolved conflict in Cyprus is a major obstacle to EU-Turkey relations; reaffirms its view that the only sustainable solution to the Cyprus issue is that of a fair, comprehensive and viable settlement on the basis of a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with a single international legal personality and political equality, in accordance with international law and on the basis of respect for the principles on which the Union is founded; deeply regrets that Turkey has abandoned this UN framework; to defend on its own a two state solution in Cyprus and that it continues to violate UN Security Council resolutions by supporting the opening of Varosha to the public; calls on Turkey and other stakeholders to give the Turkish Cypriot community the necessary space in this regard to act inconformity to their role as a legitimate community of the island, a right guaranteed by the constitution of the Republic of Cyprus; calls on the Commission to step up its efforts to engage with the Turkish Cypriot community reminding that its place is in the European Union; calls for a more courageous approach by all parties involved in terms of bringing the communities together;
Amendment 478 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Regrets the recent reshuffle by Commissioner Várhelyi of the structure of DG NEAR that has integrated the unit in charge of Turkey together with the units dealing with the “Neighbourhood South”; considers this move, made allegedly for efficiency and coherence of internal organization, a serious political mistake that has been highly criticized not only by Turkey’s government but among all pro- European Turkish actors;
Amendment 523 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Insists that democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights should remain at the heart of EU-Turkey relations under any framework; reaffirms its support for keeping the accession process and its value-based approach as the main framework for EU-Turkey relations, as it is still the most powerful tool to exercise normative pressure on and constructive dialogue with the Government of Turkey and the best framework to sustain the democratic and pro-European aspirations of Turkish society and promote convergence with the EU; nevertheless remains open to the possibility of both sides reviewing, in a realistic manner, the appropriateness of this framework and its ability to function, or, if necessary, exploring other possible models for future relations;
Amendment 550 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Notes that the varying priorities of the EU institutions set out in the existing frameworks governing EU-Turkey relations make it very difficult to find an effective way to move forward; deplores the lack of a long-term strategy, a coherent policy and consistent leadership towards Turkey in the EU and among all its institutions; calls for a stronger, strategic and value-based leadership by the Presidents of both institutions and the High Representative, with appropriate accountability towards Parliament;
Amendment 556 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27 a. Calls to further integrate Turkey into EU’s forward looking long term policy agendas on the crucial green and digital transitions as well as in health, and calls on the Commission to remain open to which other policy areas could be considered of interest for both sides and such as ways in which Turkey could be further integrated in EU value chains; is encouraged by Turkey’s continued strong participation in EU programmes, in particular in the fields of education, innovation, youth, and sports as they forge closer people to people partnerships and help synchronizing the green and digital transitions between the EU and Turkey; calls on the Commission to set up a Turkey investment platform (TIP) in full alignment with EU policy priorities and conditionality within the newly established European Fund for Sustainable Development plus (EFSD+) through which appropriate investment opportunities on national and local level contributing to the green and digital transitions can be coordinated and identified among European and International Finance Institutions; emphasizes that Parliament’s close involvement in the EFSD+ strategic board, responsible for steering investments and approve the creation of EFSD+ investment windows, is of key importance to ensure democratic oversight of this process;
Amendment 560 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27 b. Welcomes that the Grand National Assembly of Turkey has finally agreed to hold an EU-Turkey Joint Parliament Committee (JPC) meeting in March 2022, the first such meeting since December 2018; upholds the view that parliamentary dialogue is a crucial part of EU-Turkey relations;
Amendment 562 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the CommissionPresident of the European Council, the Council, the Commission as well as to the President, Government and Parliament of the Republic of Turkey, and asks the Commission and the European External Action Service to translate the Commission’s Turkey 2021 Report and this resolution into Turkish and to send a copy to Parliament..