WRITTEN QUESTION E-0671/02 by Miquel Mayol i Raynal (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Prisons in Turkey.
Date: 2002-03-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU relations, Türkiye, accession to the European Union, hunger strike, legal system, political prisoner, prison system

12.12.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 309 E/35

(2002/C 309 E/040)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0666/02

by Brigitte Langenhagen (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: EU funding of the trawler ‘Atlantic Dawn’

(8 March 2002)

The trawler ‘Atlantic Dawn’ appears to have been built in a Norwegian shipyard and launched by an Irish
shipowner, yet is not registered with the EU as a fishing vessel. The trawler is currently fishing in the
waters of Mauritania under an individual agreement of the shipping company with that country, and is
therefore in competition with both domestic and EU fleets, who are entitled to fish there under the EU
agreement with Mauritania.

1.

Can the Commission confirm my information on the origin and present use of the trawler?

2. What does the Commission intend to do about the failure to register the fishing vessel?

3.

How much EU money was used to fund the ‘Atlantic Dawn’?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(18 April 2002)

1. While the Commission does not hold information on the construction and use of Member State’s
vessels, it believes that the Atlantic Dawn was constructed in Norway and has since been fishing under a
private agreement in Mauritanian waters.

The ‘Atlantic Dawn’ has been registered on the Irish fishing vessel register and, consequently, into the

2.
fishing vessel register of the Community on 22 March 2002.

3.

No Community contribution has been provided in financing the Atlantic Dawn.

(2002/C 309 E/041)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0671/02

by Miquel Mayol i Raynal (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(8 March 2002)

Subject: Prisons in Turkey

Of the 50 000 prisoners currently being held in Turkey, 10 000 are political prisoners accused of terrorist
acts or of belonging to an illegal political organisation.

These prisoners are being held in solitary confinement or in three-person cells. They are remanded in
custody for an average of four years before being sentenced.

For more than a year there has been a growing number of protests against this system, particularly in the
form of hunger strikes by prisoners. These strikes could lead to the death of fifty of then. 130 prisoners are
currently on hunger strike.

This system of solitary confinement has been condemned as a form of torture by the Council of Europe.
The presidents of the country’s four largest bar associations proposed a compromise solution entitled
‘3 doors, 3 locks’, whereby prisoners in three neighbouring cells would be allowed to communicate with
one another for eight hours a day.

This solution has been rejected by the Turkish authorities.

Against the background of Turkey’s insistent requests to join the European Union, does the Commission
consider the attitude of the Turkish authorities in this matter to be favourable towards Turkey’s accession?

C 309 E/36

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

12.12.2002

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(16 April 2002)

The Commission is aware of the conditions in Turkish prisons to which the Honourable Member refers,
and shares it’s concern regarding the prisoners on hunger strike. The number of prisoners who have died
on hunger strike has now reached 48. The Commission considers that, from a humanitarian point of view,
this situation is unacceptable, regardless of the motives of those involved in organising the hunger strikes.

The Commission is following the matter of the reform of the prison system very closely, and has taken
note that the compromise formula of ‘Three Doors, Three Locks’ has been rejected by the Minister for
Justice on the grounds that it contravenes Article 16 of the anti-terror law.

There have been attempts by the Ministry of Justice to find an alternative, and it has been proposed in a
circular issued on 10 January 2002 that prisons could allow groups of up to 10 prisoners to meet socially
for five hours each week. However, this has not been implemented as the Ministry insists that the measure
can only be introduced once the hunger strikes have ended.

The Commission agrees with the Honourable Member that the situation in Turkish prisons does not
contribute positively to the country’s preparations for Union membership. The Member of the Commission
in charge of Enlargement raised the issue of prison reforms during his visit to Ankara on 14/15 February
2002. The Commission hopes that improvements will be made, and that Turkey will, as stipulated in the
medium term priorities of the Accession Partnership, ‘adjust detention conditions in prisons to bring them
into accordance with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the treatment of prisoners and other
international norms.’

(2002/C 309 E/042)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0674/02

by André Brie (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(1 March 2002)

Subject: Compliance with the EU’s financial commitments to Yugoslavia

In an interview with the German news magazine Der Spiegel
Yugoslavia, Mr Zoran Djindjic, has made the following assertions:

(issue 9/2002), the Prime Minister of

(cid:1) in 2001, the European Union first deducted two thirds from the EUR 300 million pledged to
Yugoslavia in order to redeem debts from the Milosevic era, and shortly afterwards, according to an
interview given to Der Spiegel at the time, granted the country EUR 45 million; in 2002-2004 the EU
intends to deduct these EUR 45 million again in three instalments;

(cid:1) of the $ 1,3 billion pledged to Yugoslavia in emergency aid in 2001, barely $ 500 million had so far

been disbursed.

Can the Commission confirm these statements?

If they cannot be confirmed, what specific facts can the Commission adduce?

Is the Commission aware of the enormous importance of abiding by financial pledges in order to preserve
stability in Yugoslavia and make it possible for the government to continue to pursue its policy of reform?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(11 April 2002)

The Commission disputes the accuracy of the statements made by Mr Djindjic. The Commission also notes
that other parts of the same interview, on different issues, have been the subject of criticism by relevant
international organisations.