23 Amendments of Ana MIRANDA PAZ related to 2018/2150(INI)
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16
Citation 16
— having regard to the Commission recommendation of 21 December 2016 for a Council decision authorising the opening of negotiations with Turkey on an agreement on the extension of the scope of the bilateral preferential trade relationship and on the modernisation of the Customs Union, and to the decision of the Council of June 2018 of not undertaking further work towards the modernisation of the EU-Turkey Customs Union,
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 22 a (new)
Citation 22 a (new)
- having regard to the Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the impact of the state of emergency on human rights in Turkey, including an update on the South-East, of March 2018,
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the decision of 19 July 2018 to lift the state of emergency, which was introduced after the 2016 coup attempt and extended 7 times; notesstresses however that the prolonged state of emergency has led to an eros serious deterioration of the rule of law and deteriorof human rights in Turkey which may have long-lasting implications of human rights inn the institutional and socio-economic fabric of Turkey; regrets that the adoption of new legislative proposals preserves many of the abusive powers granted to the President and the executive under the state of emergency including the possibility for local governors to impose curfews and to restrict access to parts of the territory they govern, and thereby dampens any positive effect of its termination;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. RecallsIs deeply concerned that over 150 000 people were taken into custody in the post-coup crackdown and 78 000 have been arrested on terrorism charges, while more than 50 000 people remain in jail in most of the cases without any convincing proof for the charges or links to violence and often solely based on "evidence" allegedly linking them to the Gülen movement; expresses concern at the excessively lengthy pre-trial detention and judicial proceedings, the fact that in several cases no indictment has been issued yet, and the harshness of detention conditions; is particularly concerned at the fact that such arrests seem to also target legitimate voices of dissent, human rights defenders or members of the opposition; is very worried at the allegations of ill-treatment and torture of those in prison, as reported by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and several human rights organisations;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that since the introduction of the state of emergency more than 152 000 civil servants - including teachers, doctors, (peace) academics, lawyers, judges and prosecutors - have been dismissed on the basis of alleged coup links; notes that 125 000 people applied to the Inquiry Commission on the State of Emergency Measures (CoSEM), which is tasked with reviewing and deciding within two years on complaints against measures taken under the state of emergency and related decrees, and 89 000 of them are still awaiting a decision; is concerned about the narrow scope of the mandate of the Inquiry Commission, its lack of independence, and the fact that examinations are made on the sole basis of documents in the case-file, without participation of the person concerned; notstresses that the dismissals have had an extremely harsh impact on the individuals concerned and on their families, including financially, and come with a lasting social and professional stigma; calls on the Turkish government to ensure that all individuals have the right to have their cases reviewed by an independent court in accordance with international standards that can award compensation for the material and moral damage caused by their arbitrary dismissal;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Notes that more than 300.000 passports have been confiscated since the start of the State of Emergency in 2016; notes that no progress has been made after the presidential statement that promised the enabling of the passports of the relatives of detainees;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Condemns the increased executive control over and political interference with the work of judges and prosecutorsand the extreme political pressure on the work of judges and prosecutors; stresses that the legislative proposals adopted after the lifting of the state of emergency further hinder judicial independence; stresses that a serious reform of the legislative and judicial branches of power is needed for Turkey to comply with its obligations under international human rights law; is awaiting, in this regard, the Reform Action Group’s action plan on judicial reforms;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Expresses serious concern about the disproportionate and arbitrary measures curtailing freedom of expression, media freedom and access to information; stresses that Turkey is the world´s biggest jailer of journalists, with more than 300 arrested since the coup attempt; condemns the closure of more than 160 media outlets and the large number of arrests of journalists in the aftermath of the coup attempt; urges Turkey to guarantee media freedom as a matter of priority and to immediately release and acquit all unlawfully detained journalists; regrets the fact that more than 100 000 websites were blocked in Turkey during the last year, including a high number of pro-Kurdish websites and satellite TV channels;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. ExpressesIs extremely concern aed about the shrinking space for civil society and the promotion of fundamental rights and freedoms; notecondemns that a large number of activists, including human rights defenders, were arrested and demonstrations were recurrently banned during the state of emergency; calls on Turkey to protect the fundamental rights of minorities, such as LGBTI people;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Calls on all EU Member States not to follow through on extradition requests by the Turkish government concerning individuals with alleged “terror links”, including former Sakharov prize finalist Can Dündar; stresses that those individuals would not have their right to a fair trial in Turkey guaranteed; calls on all EU Member States to grant humanitarian visa to citizens that are persecuted so that they can travel to the EU in a safe way in order to find protection;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6 b. Calls on Turkish authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all detained human rights defenders and to drop all charges against them; stresses that Turkish authorities must enable them to carry out their work free of threat and impediment in all circumstances;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Is deepseriously concerned atby the situation in Turkey’s South-East and the serious allegations of hnumerous cases of excessive use of force; killings; enforced disappearances; torture; destruction of housing and cultural heritage; incitement to hatred; prevention of access to emergency medical care, food, water and livelihoods; violence against women; and severe curtailment of the right to freedom of opinion and expression as well as political participation in the South East, as documented by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human rRights abuses, especially since the collapse of the Kurdish settlement process in 2015; reiterates its firm condemnation of the return to violence by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been on the EU list of terrorist organisations since 2002praises the work of human rights defenders such as Nurcan Baysal whose activity has allowed the documentation of human rights violations in the region; regrets the long-lasting consequences that the civil war in the South East of Turkey has had on the population; expresses its deep disappointment and reiterates its firm condemnation of the return to violence in the South-East by the different parties; stresses the urgency of resuming a credible political process involving all concerned parties and democratic forces leading to a peaceful settlement of the Kurdish issue; calls on Turkey to promptly investigate serious allegations of human rights abuses and killings, to bring perpetrators to justice and to allow international observers to carry out an independent verification;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Is particularly concerned by the destruction of historical heritage sites in the South-East, including of Diyarbakir´s ancient Sur which was included in UNESCO´s World Heritage List, by the Turkish government, threatening the preservation of Kurdish identity and culture; condemns that the implementation of reconstruction programmes has been done without the participation of the concerned population;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes with concern that during the state of emergency a very large number of mayors and co-mayors in the South-East were dismissed or arrested and that the Government appointed trustees to replace them; stresses that as a result, a third of Turkey’s population was not represented by the people they had elected at the 2016 local elections; takes the view that the municipal elections in March 2019 must provide an important opportunity to fully reinstate the principle of direct democratic mandate;
Amendment 150 #
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; expects the European Court of Human Rights to deliver without delay its final judgement in the cwelcomes the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights on the case of Selahattin Demirtas, which calls on the Turkish authorities to immediately release him; stresses that the European Court of Human Rights further ruled that Demirtaş’s detention, especially during two crucial electoral campaigns, namely the referendum and the presidential election, had pursued the predominant ulterior purpose of stifling pluralism and limiting freedom of political debate, which is at the very core of the concept of a democratic society; condemns the intention of Turkish authorities to contravene the ruling of the ECHR; expects the EU and its Member States to follow his case very closely and calls for his immediate and unconditional release;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. CTaking all of the above into account, calls on the Commission and the Member States, taking all of the above into account and in accordance with the Negotiating Framework, to formally suspend the accession negotiations with Turkeyo keep accession talks frozen until credible reforms with an aim to align Turkey's legal and institutional system with the EU Acquis are implemented, especially with regards to the protection and promotion of the principles of democracy, human rights and rule of law; 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 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. BelievNotes that a door should be left openthe Commission proposal for the modernisation and upgrading of the 1995 Customs Union between the EU and Turkey, to includes 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 whercalls on the Commission not to start preparatory works for the upgradinge of the Customs Union would go hand in hand with concrete commitments by Turkeyuntil the Turkish government indicates its readiness for serious reforms in the fields onf democratic reformscy, human rights and rule of law; believes further that the upgrading of the Customs Union wouldincentive of an upgrade provides an important valuable 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 reformsex ante democratic conditionality; calls on the Commission to include a binding and enforceable non-execution clause on human rights and fundamental freedoms in any future upgraded Customs Union between Turkey and the EU;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Calls on the Turkish Government to halt its plans for the construction of the Akkuyu 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 also to the Mediterranean region; requests, accordingly, that the Turkish Government join the Espoo Convention, which commits its 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, to this end, the Turkish Government to involve, or at least consult, the governments of its neighbouring countries in relation to any further developments in the Akkuyu venture;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Points out that trade union freedom and social dialogue are vital to the development of a pluralistic society; regretcondemns the legislative shortcomings on labour and trade union rights and stresses that the right to organise, the right to collective bargaining and the right to strike are fundamental rights of workers; is seriously concerned about the working conditions for workers during the construction of the new Istanbul airport, given that reportedly 38 workers have died in work-related accidents since the start of construction in May 2015 and 31 people, including a union leader, are currently held in prison for protesting against poor working conditions; calls on the Turkish authorities to consult closely with the relevant trade unions on the issue of necessary safeguards for workers on-site, to carry out a thorough investigation into the deaths and injuries, and to allow trade unions full access to the workers;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. NContinues its support to the visa liberalisation process once the set conditions have been met; notes that visa liberalisation is of great importance for Turkish citizens, particularly for students, academics, business representatives and people with family ties in EU Member States; encourages the Turkish Government to fully comply with the 72 criteria identified in the visa liberalisation roadmap; stresses that the revision of Turkey’s anti-terrorism legislation is a key condition for ensuring fundamental rights and freedoms, and that visa liberalisation will be possible once all the criteria have been met;
Amendment 253 #
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 by reports that the border with Syria has been effectively closed to new asylum seekers, that several provinces suspended registration of newcomers, as well as by reports of abuses, excessive use of force, expulsions, returns and deportations of Syrian nationals, in contradiction of the non-refoulement principle, and calls on the European Commission to seek information and publicly report about abuses reportedly committed;
Amendment 293 #
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 and the EU acquis; reiterates its call on Turkey to commit and contribute to a comprehensive settlement, to begin 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 which deals with both Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot missing persons; recognises the right of the Republic of Cyprus to enter into bilateral agreements concerning its exclusive economic zone; urges Turkeyboth parties to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes, and to refrain from any threat or action which might have negative effects on good neighbourly relations; stresses the need for the implementation of the EU acquis in the northern part of the island; acknowledges in this regard the importance of the uninterrupted continuation of the work of the bi- communal ad-hoc committee on EU preparation; encourages both the European Parliament and the Commission to intensify their efforts to engage with Turkish Cypriots in preparation to fully integrate into the EU;