WRITTEN QUESTION E-2368/00 by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Widespread use of torture in Turkey.
Date: 2000-07-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Türkiye, common foreign and security policy, torture

C 103 E/136

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.4.2001

The Commission does not intend to fund quality improvement or modernisation programmes in the rice
sector.

The Commission feels that this proposal will enable the Community rice growers to benefit from market
balance, while complying with its obligations under the GATT.

(2001/C 103 E/151)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2368/00

by Ioannis Mar(cid:237)nos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(13 July 2000)

Subject: Widespread use of torture in Turkey

According to a report in the New York Times from an Istanbul correspondent (which was reproduced in
the Greek newspaper (cid:145)To Vyma(cid:146) on 6 June 2000) Turkey is one of the countries where torture is very
widely used against both prison inmates and detainees in police stations. This is the conclusion reached by
the Turkish MPs in theTurkish Parliament(cid:146)s committee on monitoring human rights in Turkey. As the New
York Times points out, the report drawn up by the Turkish MPs after two years(cid:146) exhaustive investigations
and controls contains photographs of instruments of torture, sketches of special torture chambers and
interviews with prisoners. The newspaper goes on to say that
the recent report by the US State
Department contained similar findings.

The reputed newspaper (cid:145)European Voice(cid:146) also carries an extensive report in its edition of 15-21 June 2000
on progress made by Turkey in meeting the commitments about respecting human rights it made
last December in Helsinki. The newspaper draws attention to the discussions about this problem among
the Commissioner
senior EU officials and the dissatisfaction expressed by Mr G(cid:252)nter Verheugen,
responsible for enlargement, who stated in an interview with Turkish officials last April that he viewed
with some concern the lack of progress achieved since Helsinki in this field.

Can the Commission say whether it has been informed about the torture of prisoners in Turkey (a
candidate country for EU accession), what its findings are from investigations carried out by its services
into this matter, to what extent it considers that the human rights of Turkish citizens are being respected
and what measures it intends to take to prevail upon Turkey to put an end to the use of methods which
are at odds with the conduct and operating methods of a well-governed democratic European state?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(12 September 2000)

The Commission has been informed of the content of six reports on daily practice in various detention
centres and prisons as compiled by the human rights investigation committee of the Turkish Parliament.
Two more reports are to be published soon. The Commission considers the findings a valuable input to
the work related to the preparation of the accession partnership (political part) which it will adopt
in November 2000.

During this work, the Commission will also take account of the recommendations on the issue by
international organisations, such as by the European committee for the prevention of torture and inhuman
or degrading treatment of punishment (CPT) from the Council of Europe. The recommendations cover
amendments in Turkish legislation with respect to doctors, during the pre-trial retention and judicial
review of the detention. Training courses for police and other authorities are also recommended.

In general the Commission supports all efforts made in Turkey in the cause of eradicating torture.