WRITTEN QUESTION E-2997/96 by Yannos Kranidiotis (PSE) to the Commission (8 November 1996)

Subject: Funding for Turkey from the MEDA programme

At its September 1996 part-session, the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning Turkey and calling for the freezing of appropriations under the programme of financial cooperation with that country and for the suspension of those sections of the Euro-Mediterranean MEDA programme relating to it.

On 9 October 1996, the Commission adopted a report on human rights in Turkey as provided for under the EU-Turkey customs union agreement in order to keep the European Parliament apprised of the situation. It emerges from this report that the Commission shares the political views of the EP on the steady deterioration of the human rights situation in Turkey, noting that, its attitude to one particular Member State of the EU, Greece, is doing nothing to ease the tension. it is not seeking to defuse the tensions. It is nevertheless opposed to the freezing of Community funding for Turkey from the MEDA programme, contrary to the position adopted by the European Parliament.

Can the Commission explain its opposition to the halting of Community funding for Turkey, recognizing as it does Turkey's failure to fulfil its commitments to the EU, and can it give details concerning the programmes for which it intends to provide funding?

Answer given by Mr van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (7 January 1997)

The member of the Commission responsible for relations with Turkey presented, on 11 November 1996, before Parliament's committee on foreign affairs, security and defence policy, as well as the committee on external economic relations, the conclusions of the report on the evolution of relations with Turkey since the entry into force of the customs union.

The report gave a clear signal to Turkey to take positive action to improve the human rights situation and deepen the democratic process. At the same time, the report stressed the importance of keeping open channels of dialogue and cooperation since the strategic, political and economic importance of Turkey is quite plain, as well as its situation in an extremely vulnerable region.

On the question of financial cooperation, the Commission has drawn the conclusion that in the current situation, in which the Meda programme remains the only cooperation instrument that can be used, a freezing of Meda funds for Turkey could have negative consequences for relations with that country, both regarding tension in the region and the interests, notably economic interests, of the Community itself.

The human rights situation in Turkey, however, warrants particular emphasis on projects designed to consolidate democracy, strengthen the respect for human rights and civil society and improve the situation in the South-East.

Accordingly and in keeping with Parliament's resolution of 19 September, the Commission will support under Meda in 1997 programmes and projects in the area of the consolidation of democracy and the strengthening of human rights and civil society, as well as actions devoted to meeting the basic needs of the parts of the population most affected by the political situation in the South-East.