WRITTEN QUESTION E-3499/00 by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Council. Provocative statements by Turkish Minister.
Date: 2000-11-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Cyprus, Greece, Türkiye, accession negotiations, international issue, racism

19.6.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 174 E/63

Intimidation and harassment of these clerics constitutes disregard for minority rights. Turkey is a candidate
for EU membership.

Is the Council monitoring the minority rights situation in Turkey, and have the Member States reacted to
the above-mentioned events in Turkey?

Reply

(26 February 2001)

The Council is monitoring the minority rights situation in Turkey. Minority rights are part of the priorities
and objectives of the 2000 Accession Partnership which has been proposed by the Commission and which
is being discussed in the Council. The Council recalls that respect for and protection of minorities is one of
the Copenhagen political criteria for EU membership.

The Council has not reacted to the event referred to by the Honourable Member. Neither have Member
States informed the Council about any reactions on their part.

(2001/C 174 E/063)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3499/00

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Council

(13 November 2000)

Subject: Provocative statements by Turkish Minister

Turkey(cid:146)s Minister for Internal Affairs, Mr Sukru Sina Gurel, stated on 11 October 2000, during the
ceremony to re-open the (cid:145)University of the Aegean(cid:146) ((cid:145)Ege University(cid:146)) that (cid:145)Turkey does not consider its
accession to the EU to be conditional upon either a solution to the Cyprus issue or the settlement of
Greek-Turkish differences(cid:146). To reaffirm his position, the Turkish Minister also referred to the (cid:145)two letters
which the Turkish Prime Minister sent to the EU immediately after the Helsinki European Council
last December(cid:146), in which Mr Ecevit stresses Turkey(cid:146)s reluctance to accept any preconditions or terms for
its accession to the EU. The Turkish Interior Minister also added that (cid:145)everyone must accept the existence
of two states in Cyprus(cid:146) and called on the EU (cid:145)to resolve the problem of racism in its Member States before
rushing to criticise Turkey(cid:146).

What is the Council(cid:146)s position on the statements which the Turkish Minister for Internal Affairs has aimed
at the EU, given that they create an anti-European climate in a country applying for accession and fly in
the face of the Helsinki Summit decisions which require Turkey to conduct itself in a manner befitting a
European state and to consolidate good neighbourly relations with Greece? Furthermore, does the Council
accept the Turkish Minister(cid:146)s accusations of racism in the EU when Turkey stands charged with the
extermination and expulsion (cid:129) in the 20th century (cid:129) of Greek Cypriots, Asia Minor Greeks, Armenians,
and recently, Kurds living on its territory?

Moreover, as the preamble to the Draft Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union states:
taking inspiration from its spiritual and moral heritage, the Union is founded on the indivisible, universal
principles of human dignity, freedom, equality and solidarity; it is based on the principles of democracy
and the rule of law.

Will the Council say what the European tradition in the above spheres has in common with the conduct of
the current Turkish regime (cid:129) a state classified as a (cid:145)candidate for accession(cid:146) (cid:129) which persecutes its citizens
for their religious and political beliefs, and tortures and imprisons anyone who opposes its objectives?

Reply

(8 March 2001)

1.
At its meeting in December 2000 the Council reached political agreement among the Fifteen on the
text of the draft Framework Regulation and the draft Council Decision on the principles, priorities,

C 174 E/64

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19.6.2001

intermediate objectives and conditions contained in the Accession Partnership for Turkey. The solution to
the questions raised remains strictly within the framework of the Helsinki European Council conclusions,
which form the defining basis for relations between the European Union and Turkey in the context of the
pre-accession process. In the short term, the Cyprus issue and, in the medium term, the issue of the
settlement of territorial disputes are referred to in the abovementioned decision as elements of the political
dialogue and political criteria. It is clear that the political dialogue must not ignore any of the issues which
will have to be dealt with in the context of new partnership relations between the EU and Turkey.

Furthermore,

2.
the Accession Partnership indicates the priority areas for Turkey(cid:146)s membership
preparations. It should therefore be equally clear (cid:129) and moreover, this is explicitly stated in the draft
Decision (cid:129) that Turkey must address all issues identified in the Regular Report. Turkey is expected to
adopt a national programme for the adoption of the acquis on the basis of its Accession Partnership. That
programme does not form an integral part of the Partnership, but its priorities should be compatible with
it. The Council has, in that respect, taken note of the European Commission(cid:146)s recent progress report on
Turkey in which the reforms in Turkey necessary for EU accession are clearly set out.

3.
The Council would remind the Honourable Member that the Helsinki European Council reaffirmed
that compliance with the Copenhagen political criteria is a prerequisite for the opening of accession
negotiations.

(2001/C 174 E/064)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3502/00

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(10 November 2000)

Subject: Compensation for criminal injuries

Does the Commission have any plans to introduce legislation regarding harmonisation of criminal injury
compensation schemes, or the setting of minimum criteria thereof?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(22 January 2001)

The situation of crime victims in the Union has been addressed on several occasions in the Parliament and
by the Commission. In 1998 it was discussed in the Council and victims(cid:146) rights were included in the
Vienna Action Plan on Freedom, Security and Justice (1). The plan suggests that a survey of compensation
schemes and an assessment of the feasibility of taking action within the Union are issues that should be
addressed within five years.

Following this, the Commission presented a Communication to the Council, the Parliament and the
Economic and Social Committee in July 1999 (2).

The importance of the issue is reiterated in the conclusions of the European Council of Tampere (point 32)
that focus on the protection of victims of crime, in particular on their access to justice and their rights to
compensation for damages, including legal costs.

Following the conclusions of Tampere, the Commission attended a Union experts(cid:146) seminar in Umea,
Sweden, organised by the incoming Swedish Presidency in October 2000. The aim of the seminar was to
address the issue of compensation for crime victims from different angles in order to form a basis for
subsequent strategic considerations and initiatives.