WRITTEN QUESTION E-2152/01

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(18 July 2001)

Subject: Threats by Turkey

In a document, No. 9120 dated 13 June 2001, entitled Honouring of obligations and commitments by Turkey (which was approved on 28 June 2001 by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe), Turkey refuses to allow the Ecumenical Patriarchate freely to dispose of its real estate or to accept donations of real estate, whereas the Turkish State has in fact expropriated part of the Patriarchate's property. As regards the Greek population of Imvros and Tenedos (islands which, under the Treaty of Lausanne signed by Turkey in 1923, should be self-governing), the remaining inhabitants of Greek origin number only 250 of the 3000 living there in 1965, while 7-8000 Turkish settlers have been moved in.

At the same time as Turkey has subjected its non-Muslim population to such acts of oppression, the Foreign Minister, Mr I. Cem, speaking on the CNN Turk television network on 29 June 2001, repeated the threats concerning his country's response if Cyprus were to join the Union, words which were echoed by the Turkish Minister responsible for Cypriot affairs, Sükru Sina Gürel, on his arrival (2 July 2001) in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus. A day before Mr Gürel issued his threats, the Turkish Agriculture Minister, Husnu Yusuf Gokalp; had stated in an interview in Kibris, a newspaper published in the self-styled state, that the occupied territories' energy problem could be solved by building a nuclear reactor there.

What is the Commission's position regarding the Council of Europe's damning report on Turkey? What is its view of the constant threats by Turkish officials against Cyprus, an applicant country for accession and a Member State of the UN? Will the Commission call on the Turkish authorities to refrain from any action or statement which indicates their intent to destabilise the south-eastern Mediterranean, or which might result in an unprecedented environmental disaster, since there are obvious risks involved in setting up reactors in earthquake-prone regions?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(6 September 2001)

The Commission is fully aware of the contents of the report from 2001 by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Turkey. The Commission took particularly note, in this context, of the problems encountered by the Orthodox Church, and other religious minorities including the Catholic Church. It is closely monitoring the situation in the field and will report on this matter in the Commission's 2001 Regular Report on Turkey.

The European Union has raised the issue of Cyprus in the framework of the enhanced political dialogue with Turkey. In this context, Turkey was repeatedly urged to use its influence to help restart the United Nations-sponsored talks. It is hoped that these talks will resume as soon as possible and that progress will be made towards a settlement of the Cyprus problem.

The Commission has been informed that Turkey does not intend to build nuclear reactors on its territory. The Commission is not aware of any concrete proposal to build such a reactor in the northern part of Cyprus. In the Commission's view, Minister Gokalp's statement made in an interview regarding options for the supply of electricity do not indicate the existance of any concrete project of that kind.