WRITTEN QUESTION No. 374/96 by Katerina DASKALAKI to the Council. Turkish aggression against an EU Member State
Date: 1996-02-14
Institutions: DASKALAKI, European Parliament
Subjects: Aegean Islands, EU relations, Greece, Türkiye, agreement (EU), customs union, international conflict













EUR-Lex - 91996E0374 - EN






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91996E0374

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 374/96 by Katerina DASKALAKI to the Council. Turkish aggression against an EU Member State  


Official Journal C 280 , 25/09/1996 P. 0013 





WRITTEN QUESTION P-0374/96 by Katerina Daskalaki (UPE) to the Council (14 February 1996)Subject: Turkish aggression against an EU Member StateThe latest Turkish aggression in the Aegean, challenging the sovereign rights of an EU Member State and making claims on its territory - and in doing so violating international treaties - has brought Greece and Turkey to the brink of war. It has also brought the EU's ability to defend its external borders into sharp focus.What will the Council do to compel Turkey (having regard to that country's association with the EU and the recent decision on customs union) to comply with international treaties, end its formal threats of war against Greece (statements by Ciller and Baykal) and prevent any repetition of acts such as the landing on the island of Imia and Turkish warships firing on Greek fishing-boats?Joint Reply (11 June 1996)The Council Presidency made a statement on the conflict between Greece and Turkey in the Aegean Sea before the European Parliament on 14 February 1996. According to it the Union cannot fail to be concerned by the latest instances of friction involving, on the one hand, a Member State with which exists fundamental and strong solidarity and, on the other hand, a neighbouring country which has a key part to play in the region, and with which Europe has for decades enjoyed a relationship of dialogue and collaboration.The Presidency noted that the matter had not been officially brought before the European Union. Accordingly, it had not undertaken any formal intervention. However, the Presidency had decided, while maintaining all appropriate contacts with Athens, to open up a channel of communication through relevant embassies that would enable it to keep in close touch with Turkey right from the initial stages of the crisis. The Presidency's aim was to promote a peaceful solution of the conflict and the normalization of bilateral relations; the first step should be to agree on a methodology to be followed in pursuit of this aim, paying special attention to the possibility of appeal to the International Court of Justice in The Hague or international arbitration, or a combination of these or other means.Further, Italy was endeavouring to meet Greece's request to trace the relevant legal texts, which date back to 1932 and 1947, in a spirit of maximum solidarity with a fellow member of the European Union.In addition, the Council would like to remind, that if need be, any member of the Council or the Commission can request for inclusion of this item on the agenda of the meeting.It is in this framework that the Council can best contribute to confidence building between a Member State and a close cooperation partner.