WRITTEN QUESTION E-3025/03 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Human rights violations against Greeks on the island of Imbros through the Turkish national land register.
Date: 2003-10-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Aegean Sea, Greece, Türkiye, accession criteria, equal treatment, island, land and buildings, ownership, protection of minorities

8.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 88 E/127

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(17 December 2003)

The Commission is aware of the reports concerning Ms Rejiba referred to by the Honourable Member.

The Commission continues to follow the human rights situation in Tunisia closely. The Commission has
always condemned violations of the principles of
liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, principles upon which the Union is founded and which are
common to the Member States as stated in Article 6 of the Treaty on the European Union.

In particular, the Commission considers freedom of expression as an area of fundamental importance to
the development of democracy and a participatory society in all areas. In the framework of the MEDA
budget line, the Commission in collaboration with a European centre for journalism is seeking to promote
freedom of expression in Tunisia through a Media support programme aimed at journalist training. In order
to support Tunisian efforts to strengthen the rule of law, the Commission also intends to launch a
programme aimed at modernising the Tunisian judiciary, similar to those already launched for Algeria and
Palestinian Territories.

As far as the World Summit on the Information Society is concerned, the Commission refers to its answers
to the Honourable Member’s Written Questions E-2554/03 (1) and E-2931/03 (2).

(1) OJ C 65 E, 13.3.2004, p. 175.
(2) OJ C 70 E, 20.3.2004, p. 165.

(2004/C 88 E/0135)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3025/03

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(17 October 2003)

Subject: Human rights violations against Greeks on the island of Imbros through the Turkish national land

register

At a single stroke, the application of the law on the Turkish national land register on the island of Imbros
deprives Greeks on the island and their heirs of their property and assigns it to the Turkish state.

More specifically, the application of the Turkish land register removes from the owners land which has not
been cultivated or houses which have not been lived in for more than 20 years, and arbitrarily assigns
them to the Turkish state. It removes all ownership and inheritance rights from anyone who has lost
Turkish citizenship (cid:1) because they did not serve in the Turkish army before the age of 21 (cid:1) and prevents
owners from claiming property which had been confiscated without compensation and illegally remains in
the possession of Turkish settlers, even though the work which was supposed to have justified the
expropriation has never been carried out.

It is clear that these practices are aimed at Greek owners and their heirs, who lose any legal right to
ownership, in total contravention of Community law.

Bearing in mind that Turkey has the status of a candidate country for accession to the European Union
and its application is to be reviewed in 2004, how will the Commission tackle this issue?

Will it intervene with the Turkish authorities with a view to restoring order and equal rights?

C 88 E/128

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(14 November 2003)

The Commission is aware of concerns about the situation of the Greek minority on the Aegean island of
Imvros to which the Honourable Member refers. The Commission has recently received information
referring to violation of property rights on the island.

The Commission will examine this issue in the framework of its monitoring of Turkey’s respect of the
Copenhagen political criteria, which include the respect of human rights and the protection of minorities.
It will provide an overall assessment of the difficulties encountered by minorities in Turkey in its
forthcoming Regular Report, to be published on 5 November 2003.

(2004/C 88 E/0136)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3032/03

by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(17 October 2003)

Subject: Denigration by Turkey of its ethnic minorities

Violations of human rights in Turkey are continuing. This is in spite of the fact that Turkey has adapted
some of its national legislation to take account of EU standards. One example of the continued denigration
of minorities is that the Turkish Education Ministry issued a decree on 14 April 2003 to all schools in the
country requiring essay competitions and lectures to be organised denying the genocide in and after 1914
against ethnic Armenians and Assyrians/Syrians, and accusing these ethnic groups of having been traitors
to the Ottoman Empire. Assyrian/Syrian and Armenian children are suffering discrimination on a daily
basis, specially by being forced to participate in these lectures which are an insult to their own ethnic and
religious identity.

The Turkish human rights organisation IHD has reacted sharply to the decree and has recently launched a
campaign together with human rights lawyers seeking to prevail upon the Turkish government to cancel
the decree and cease these violations. The Education Ministry’s decree of 14 April 2003 contrasts starkly
with the demands made on Turkey at the European Convention and elsewhere.

What measures does the Commission propose to take with a view to prevailing on the Turkish
government to abolish this decree and cease the insults to its ethnic and religious minorities?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(24 November 2003)

The Commission is aware of the Turkish Education Ministry circular of 14 April 2003 relating to the
requirement of schools to organise essay competitions and lectures denying ‘the Armenian, Greek Pontus
and Assyrian allegations’.

The Commission raised this matter with the Turkish authorities in the course of its regular dialogue. The
issue has been addressed in the Commission’s Regular Report, issued on 5 November 2003 (1).

More generally, the Commission is aware of the difficulties encountered by minorities throughout Turkey
and will continue to closely monitor their treatment.

(1) COM(2003) 676 final.