26 Amendments of Hélène FLAUTRE related to 2013/2945(RSP)
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 17 a (new)
Citation 17 a (new)
– having regard to the conclusions of the report of 26 November 2013 by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, which highlighted the inappropriate conduct of law enforcement officials during the Gezi protests,
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 17 b (new)
Citation 17 b (new)
– having regard to the fact that as a result of the Gezi protests and the excessive use of police force, six people were killed, including one police officer, and 8 041 were injured, and that at least 3 500 people were held in pre-trial detention, 112 of whom have remained in prison on the order of a judge, including members of the NGOs taking part in the Taksim Solidarity Platform, and that 108 of these people have been detained on charges of belonging to a terrorist organisation,
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 17 c (new)
Citation 17 c (new)
– having regard to the speeches given on 16 November 2013 in Diyarbakır by Prime Minister Erdoğan and the President of the Iraqi Kurdistan region, Massoud Barzani, calling for a peaceful settlement of the Kurdish conflict,
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 17 d (new)
Citation 17 d (new)
– having regard to the fact that, according to the UNHCR, in December 2013 Turkey was sheltering more than 560 000 refugees from Syria,
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes the transformative power of negotiations between the Union and Turkey, which have provided Turkey with a clear reference for its reform process; stresses therefore the importance of credible accession negotiations based on a mutual commitment by Turkey and the Union to effective reforms furthering the democratic foundations of Turkish society, promoting fundamental values and producing positive change in the institutions, in legislation and, in the mentality of society; welcomes, therefore the opening of Chapter 22;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. StressNotes the simportance of achieving a common understanding between Turkey and the EU on the relevance for both the EU and Turkeyultaneous signing of the readmission agreement and of the roadmap leading to visa liberalisation; recalls that Turkey is one of the key transit countries for irregular migration to the EU and therefore calls on Turkey to sign and implement the readmission agreement without further delay; calls on the Commission in parallel to take steps towards visa liberalisation and stresses the clear benefits of facilitating access to the EU for business people, academics, students and representatives of civil society; calls for the implementation of this readmission agreement to be subject to democratic oversight in order to guarantee that the rights of the persons concerned are fully respected; calls on Turkey and the European Union to comply in full with their international and European human rights obligations, in particular as regards the principle of non- refoulement and access to the asylum procedure; calls on Turkey to put in place an effective asylum system in accordance with international standards;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Points to the crucial role of a system of checks and balances for any modern democratic State and the fundamental role that the Turkish Grand National Assembly must play at the centre of Turkey’s political system in providing a framework for dialogue and consensus-building across the political spectrum; expresses concern about political polarisation and the lack of readiness on the part of government and opposition to work towards consensus on key reforms; urges all political actors, the government and the opposition to work together to enhance a pluralistic vision in State institutions and to promote the modernisation and democratisation of the State and society; calls on the political majority to actively involve the minorivarious political forces and civil society in the deliberation process on relevant reforms and take into consideration, whenever possible, their interests and views in an inclusive manner;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the Government to guarantee the functioning of the Court of Accounts in accordance with international standards; calls on the Government to provide the institutions concerned, including the Turkish Grand National Assembly, and the public with complete access to the reports of the Court of Accounts, including the reports concerning the security forces;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Commends the Conciliation Committee for reaching consensus on 60 constitutional amendments and calls on its Members to continue their, but regrets the interruption of its work on a new Constitution for Turkey as this is essential for the reform process in Turkey; stresses the importance of achieving consensus in the framework of the constitutional reform process on an effective system of separation of powers and an inclusive definition of citizenship; underlines that Turkey, as a Member State of the Council of Europe, could benefit from active dialogue with the Venice Commission on the constitutional reform process; stresses that the rules governing the election and composition of the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors should be fully in line with the criteria of the Venice Commission; points out that these rules are a constitutional matter and that any reform of them should be adopted in a calm atmosphere and with the broadest possible consensus;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Is concerned by the Government’s reaction to the corruption scandals in December 2013, and stresses that the authorities must ensure the independence of the judiciary in all circumstances, in line with European standards; stresses the need to establish a judicial police force working under the authority of a judge;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Takes the view that the protests in Gezi Park testify both to the existence in Turkey of a vibrant civil society and also the need for further vital reforms on the promotion of fundamental values; highlights the importance of including civil society more structurally in the decision making process; deeply regrets the loss of life amongst the protesters and the police forces, the excessive use of force by the police and the violent acts by a number of protesters; welcomes the on-going administrative investigations launched by the Ministry of Interior and the inquiries by the Ombudsman into complaints related to the events in Gezi Park and expects them to fully address the concerns without delay; calls on Turkey to adopt adequate internal review procedures and to establish an independent supervisory body for police offences; is of the opinion that the Gezi Park events underline the need for far-reaching reforms in order to ensure respect for freedom of assemblyfact that since Gezi work on other major projects has continued without consultation and despite the opposition of a large section of the population concerned, including the construction of a road on the campus of the Middle East Technical University in Ankara and the third bridge over the Bosphorus;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Deeply regrets the loss of life amongst the protesters and the police forces, the excessive use of force by the police and the violent acts by a number of protesters; welcomes the administrative investigations launched by the Ministry of the Interior and the inquiries by the Ombudsman into complaints relating to the events in Gezi Park, and expects them to fully address the concerns without delay; welcomes the Ombudsman’s proposed changes to the way in which force is used by the police; calls on Turkey to adopt adequate internal review procedures and to establish an independent supervisory body for police offences; deplores the fact that the judicial response to the death of protestors has been unsatisfactory, either because the police officers implicated were not prosecuted (in the case of the death of Abdullah Cömert), or because the trial has been marked by irregularities (in the case of the death of Ethem Sarısülük); is concerned by the action taken against health professionals, lawyers, academics, students and professional associations in connection with their non-violent actions during the Gezi events; welcomes the reform of the right to demonstrate proposed in the ‘democratisation package’; believes, however, that the Gezi Park events underline the need for far- reaching reforms in order to ensure respect for the freedom of assembly;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Expresses concerns at the very limited coverage of the Gezi Park events by Turkish media and the dismissal of journalists who criticised the Government’s reactions to such events, particularly in the cases of Can Dündar of Milliyet and Yavuz Baydar of Sabah; expresses concern at the dismissal of journalists who have criticised the Government in other circumstances, particularly in the cases of Hasan Cemal of Milliyet and Nazlı Ilıcak of Sabah; recalls that freedom of expression and media pluralism are at the heart of European values and that an independent press is crucial to a democratic society; reiterates once again its concern at the fact that most media are owned by and concentrated in, large conglomerates with a wide range of business interests and points out to the worrying widespread phenomenon of self-censorship by media owners and journalists; expresses concern at the particularly high number of journalists currently in pre-trial detention and calls on Turkey’s judicial authorities to review and address these cases as soon as possible;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Highlights the special role of public- service media in strengthening democracy, in particular by serving information needs of citizens and enabling their participation in decision making processes. In this respect, calls on the authorities to ensure their independence and sustainability in compliance with European standards;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Notes that the Parliament's Ad Hoc Delegation for the Observation of Trials of Journalists in Turkey, established in 2011 and referred to in its Resolution on the 2011 Progress Report on Turkey and in its Resolution on the 2012 Progress Report on Turkey, has presented the Interim Activity Report in 2013, based on factual observations, and will deliver the Final Activity Report in the first semester of 2014;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes the concerns in Turkish society about the excessively wide scope and the shortcomings of the proceedings in the Ergenekon case, which, like in the Sledgehammer case and the conviction of Füsun Erdoğan, undermined the acceptance of the ruling; expresses concern at the judicial harassment to which Pınar Selek has been subjected for 16 years; stresses, once again, in light of the above, that the KCK case must demonstrate the strength and the proper, independent, impartial and transparent functioning of Turkey’s democratic institutions and judiciary, as well as the firm, unconditional commitment to respect for fundamental rights;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes that the implementation of the third judicial reform package has led to the release of a significant number of detainees and welcomes the fourth judicial reform package as another important step towards a judiciary in Turkey in line with EU standards and values; welcomes the work of Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin on the ambitious reforms which he has introduced; notes, in particular, (i) the new, important distinction between freedom of expression and incitement to violence or to committing acts of terrorism, (ii) the limitation of the offence of praising a crime or a criminal to instances where there is a clear and imminent danger to public order and (iii) the narrowing down of the scope of the offence of committing a crime in the name of an organisation, without being a member of it, to armed organisations only;
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Welcomes the release of the arrested MPs following the Constitutional Court decision, given that the duration of their pre-trial detention was a violation of their fundamental rights;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Commends the decision by the Assembly of Foundations to return the lands of the historic Mor Gabriel Monastery to the Syriac community in Turkey, in compliance with the pledge taken by the Government in the Democratisation package; stresses the importance to continue the process of reform in the area of freedom of thought, conscience and religion by enabling religious communities to obtain legal personality, by eliminating all restrictions on the training, appointment and succession of clergy, by complying with the relevant judgments of the ECtHR and the recommendations of the Venice Commission and by eliminating all forms of discrimination or barriers based on religion; notes that progress has been particularly slow in extending the rights of the Alevi minority; calls on the Government to give consideration to the request from Alevi associations for cemevis to be recognised as places of worship; underlines the importance of lifting all obstacles to a speedy reopening of the Halki Seminary;
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Expresses support for the database on violence against women currently under preparation by the Ministry for Family and Social policies; asks to complement existing legislation on the creation of shelters for women who are victims of domestic violence with adequate follow-up mechanisms where municipalities fail to establish such shelters; supports the efforts of the Minister for Family and Social policies to raise penalties for forced early marriages, which must be eradicated; renews its concern at the low level of women’s participation in the labour force, in politics and at senior level in the administration and encourages the Government to adopt adequate measures to promote a more central role of women in the economic and political fabric of Turkey; welcomes the work of the Minister for Family and Social Policies, Fatma Şahin, on the ambitious reforms which she has introduced in these areas;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Strongly supports the Government’s initiative to strive for a settlement of the Kurdish problem on the basis of negotiations with the PKK; encourages the Government to devise the reforms directed at promoting the social, cultural and economic rights of the Kurdish community on the basis of adequate consultation of relevant stakeholders and the opposition; calls on the parties; welcomes the Government’s openness and the promise to authorise mother-tongue teaching in private schools; believes, nevertheless, that mother-tongue teaching should be provided in state education; welcomes the promise to authorise changing the names of villages and provinces and calls for the local population to be closely involved in the name-change decision; calls on the various opposition parties to actively support the negotiations and the reforms as an important step for the benefit of Turkish society at large; calls on the Turkish authorities to cooperate closely with the European Commission to assess which programs under IPA could be used to promote sustainable development in the South East in the framework of negotiations on Chapter 22;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Is of the opinion that social dialogue and involvement of social partners are vital for the development of a prosperous society; Underlines the importance of further progress in the areas of social policy and employment, in particular to remove all obstacles to the effective functioning of trade unions, to establish a national employment strategy, address undeclared work, widen the coverage of social protection mechanisms, and increase employment rates among women and people with disabilities; notes the gradual implementation of laws 6289 and 6356 on trade union rights in the private and public sector but is concerned by the obstacles remaining to the effective functioning of trade unions; is particularly concerned about the absence of protection from discrimination against trade unionists in companies with fewer than 30 employees; calls for trade union laws to be implemented in accordance with the ILO international standards which Turkey has ratified;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Reiterates its strong support for the reunification of Cyprus, based on a fair and viable settlement for both communities; asks Turkey to actively supportsupports the efforts to relaunch the negotiations aimed at a fair, comprehensive and viable settlement under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General and in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions; calls on Turkey to begin withdrawing its forces from Cyprus and to transfer the sealed-off area of Famagusta to the UN in accordance with UNSC Resolution 550 (1984); calls on the Republic of Cyprus to open the port of Famagusta, under EU customs supervision, in order to promote a positive climate for the successful solution of the ongoing reunification negotiations, and to allow Turkish Cypriots to trade directly in a legal manner that is acceptable to all; takes note of the proposals by the Government of Cyprus to address the above issues;
Amendment 309 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Notes that Turkey continues to be the EU’s sixth biggest trading partner and that the EU is Turkey’s biggest with 38% of Turkey’s total trade going to the EU and almost 71% of FDI coming from the EU; welcomes the ongoing Commission evaluation of the EU-Turkey Customs Union with the aim of assessing its impact on both parties and ways to update it; calls on the Commission to keep Turkey informed during negotiations on the signing of a free-trade agreement with third countries;
Amendment 322 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Believes that, in view of Turkey’s strategic role as an energy hub, consideration should be given to the value of opening negotiations on Chapter 15 on energy; underlines that energy and climate efficiency priorities need to be addressed; calls on Turkey to publish a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target as soon as possible; calls on Turkey not to exclude major projects such as Istanbul’s third airport, the third bridge or the planned nuclear plants from the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive; notes the implementation of Law No 6446 on the electricity market, but regrets the inclusion of a provisional article allowing public and privatised electricity generating companies not to comply with environmental laws until 2018; calls on Turkey to adjust its energy mix in favour of renewables, of which the country has abundant sources, and calls on the Commission to prioritise its funding on renewable energy projects and the electricity grid in Turkey;
Amendment 329 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Welcomes Turkey’s commitment to the provision of humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees; notes that a large number of foreign fighters in Syria gain access to Syria via Turkey and asks Turkey to increase border patrols, restricasks Turkey to control its borders in order to prevent the entry of fighters and arm flows to groups credibly found to be implicated in systematic human rights violations; welcomes the role played by Turkey in supporting the democratic opposition in Syria; believes that the EU and Turkey should actively seek to develop a joint strategic vision to promote a political solution in Syria and support political and economic stability in the region, with particular reference to Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq;