WRITTEN QUESTION E-0027/00 by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) and Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Human rights in Turkey.
Date: 2000-01-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Türkiye, accession to the European Union, common foreign and security policy, ethnic group, torture

3.10.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 280 E/161

(2000/C 280 E/183)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0027/00

by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) and Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(19 January 2000)

Subject: Human rights in Turkey

The world has become no more peaceful in the post-Cold War period. Despite the appearance of new
actors on the scene, states are still responsible for the great majority of instances of torture. The Medical
Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture in London has for a number of years been taking care of
victims of torture and (military) violence.

By far the largest group of patients of the Foundation are from Turkish Kurdistan. The Foundation(cid:146)s Alex
Sklan described Turkey in De Morgen of Friday, 24 December 1999 as a (cid:145)torture state(cid:146). (cid:145)Torture is endemic,
routine, inherent in the enforcement of so-called law and order(cid:146).

1.
Is the Commission aware of the activities of the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of
Torture in London with regard to the victims of torture and violence? If not, will the Commission seek full
information on the Foundation given its importance in the light of the Common Foreign and Security
Policy and the enlargement of the European Union? If it is aware of the Foundation(cid:146)s activities, can the
Commission confirm the statement by Mr Sklan that: (cid:145)By far the largest group of patients of the Medical
Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture are from Turkish Kurdistan(cid:146)?

2.
Does the Commission feel that the term (cid:145)torture state(cid:146) used by Mr Sklan is applicable to Turkey? If
not, does the Commission believe that a member of a body specialising in victims of torture and (military)
violence is wrong to apply the term (cid:145)torture state(cid:146) to Turkey? If so, how does the Commission explain the
statement by Mr Alex Sklan that: (cid:145)By far the largest group of patients of the Medical Foundation for the
Care of Victims of Torture are from Turkish Kurdistan(cid:146)?

Does the Commission endorse Mr Sklan(cid:146)s view that (cid:145)Torture is endemic, routine, inherent in the
3.
enforcement of so-called law and order(cid:146)
in Turkey(cid:146)? If not, why not, and how can the Commission(cid:146)s
position be reconciled with the fact that, as Mr Sklan says: (cid:145)By far the largest group of patients of the
Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture are from Turkish Kurdistan(cid:146)?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(23 February 2000)

The Commission is in regular contact with a wide range of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and
finances a number of their activities through assistance programmes. It has made financial contributions to
several projects run by the Foundation to which the Honourable Member referred.

As far as Turkey is concerned,
the Commission has been analysing the situation there each year
since November 1998 through its regular report, in the light of the Copenhagen criteria. In its most
recent report, published in October 1999 (1), it indicated that (cid:145)there are serious shortcomings in terms of
human rights and the protection of minorities. Torture is not systematic but is still widespread [(cid:133)](cid:146). Since
1993, the Commission has financed various rehabilitation centres for the victims of torture in the
framework of the Turkish Foundation for Human Rights programme.

The Commission considers that the pre-accession strategy for Turkey adopted at the European Council
meeting in Helsinki will encourage and support the democratisation process there.

(1) COM(99) 514 final.