B4-0986, 0987, 0988, 0989, 0990/96, and B4-0991/96

Resolution on the political situation in Turkey

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on Turkey,

A. with particular reference to its resolution of 13 December 1995 on the human rights situation in Turkey ((OJ C 17, 22.1.1996, p. 46.)), adopted in connection with its assent to the EU-Turkey customs union, in which the improvements promised by the then Prime Minister Tansu Ciller in the areas of democratization and human rights, progress in the Cyprus question and a peaceful solution to the Kurdish problem were emphasized as the firm expectations of the new contractual relationship between the European Union and Turkey,

B. having regard to the recent judgment of the European Court on Human Rights on the human rights situation in Turkey,

C. whereas, since the establishment of the customs union, the human rights situation in Turkey has noticeably deteriorated and no appreciable progress has been made towards democratization, while external tensions, such as provocations in the Aegean Sea and Cyprus and aggression in northern Iraq, have multiplied,

D. deploring the fact that Leyla Zana, winner of the Sakharov Prize, and three other DEP ex-parliamentarians of Kurdish origin are still in prison despite appeals from the European Parliament and from all over the world,

E. deeply concerned at the military operations recently conducted by the Turkish armed forces in eastern Turkey and their refusal to seek ways of reaching a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Kurdistan,

F. whereas, in signing several international agreements, including the Council of Europe's Convention on Human Rights, Turkey has committed itself to guaranteeing human rights and multi-party democracy,

G. whereas the negotiations on the accession of Cyprus will begin six months after the conclusion of the Intergovernmental Conference,

H. appalled at the brutal, cold-blooded killing of two young unarmed Cypriots by Turkish soldiers supported by Turkish paramilitary forces at the demarcation line of the occupied part of the island,

I. deploring the many incidents in the neutral zone, which have claimed several victims from both sides of the demarcation line,

J. concerned at the Turkish authorities' plan to set up a 'security zone' in northern Iraq, in violation of international agreements,

1. Demands that the Turkish Government explain clearly its position to the European Union in the four areas - human rights, democratization, the Cyprus question and the Kurdish problem - raised in Parliament's abovementioned resolution of 13 December 1995, which was the basis for its assent to the customs union;

2. Expects the Turkish Government to confirm the obligations ensuing from its signing of the agreement on the customs union;

3. Declares that the continuing human rights violations in Turkey are in conflict with the letter and spirit of the agreement and irreconcilable with the specific financial aid instruments and the MEDA programme;

4. Decides, therefore, to begin the procedure for entering in the reserve the appropriations relating to the EC-Turkey agreement;

5. Calls on the Commission, for the same reason, to block, with immediate effect, all appropriations set aside under the MEDA programme for projects in Turkey, except those concerning the promotion of democracy, human rights and civil society, pending clarification of unresolved questions and improvements in the abovementioned areas;

6. Condemns vigorously the killing of Anastasios Isaak and Solomon Solomou by Turkish soldiers and paramilitary forces and calls for all those who took part in these killings to be arrested and convicted;

7. Urges the Turkish Government to accept and apply the UN resolutions that call, in particular, for the withdrawal of the occupying military forces and for a fair and viable solution to the Cyprus question and appeals to the Government of Cyprus and to the leadership of the Turkish-Cypriot community to continue to look for a peaceful solution to the Cyprus problem in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions;

8. Believes it to be more than ever necessary to open the negotiations on the accession of Cyprus six months after the conclusion of the Intergovernmental Conference in order to defuse an explosive situation and emphasizes that the security of the two Cypriot communities should take precedence over any other consideration;

9. Denounces in the strongest possible terms Turkey's intention to create a security zone in northern Iraq, seeing this as a grave violation of international law, and calls on the Council to persuade Turkey to abandon this plan;

10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the European Council, the Council, the Commission, the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Turkish, Cypriot and Iraqi Governments.