kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
we implement targeted measures to tackle gender inequalities and climate change issues in our partner countries while also mainstreaming gender equality and climate change perspectives into all aspects of our development policy.
at the same time we are ready to further increase our efforts on the ground to promote the equal rights of women in our partner countries to participate in and directly influence decisionmaking processes on climate and environmental issues as well as resilience building.
fourth genderresponsive implementation and means of implementation.
at cop twenty three in bonn the european union played an active and enabling role in the negotiations leading up to the adoption of this gender action plan.
after mid two thousand and eighteen it will move to the phase of developing recommendations for approaches to avert minimise and address displacement related to climate change impacts.
let me start by emphasising that gender equality matters in its own right and that it matters for effective climate action and sustainable development.
we have not only been participating and contributing to a round of informal consultations on the development of the gender action plan but also are one of the few organisations providing dedicated funding to the unfccc secretariat's work on gender activities.
the european union is already committed to promoting a gender perspective in climate policies both domestically and internationally and to supporting women's engagement and gender equality in the international negotiations under the united nations convention on climate change the.
women are disproportionately vulnerable to the impacts of climate change where their rights and socioeconomic status are not equal to those of men and where they have less voice and influence than men in shaping policies and prioritising how climate finance is used. the empowerment of women is an important ingredient in building climate resilience and as pointed out in the resolution
the kurdish movement including pkk leaders must denounce terrorist attacks must distance themselves from terrorist attacks and publicly commit to realistic political goals.
therefore we need to work together with turkey and those elements that wish to reach a solution so that the eu can be an effective intermediary.
the government needs to reform oppressive laws that jail legitimate kurdish politicians and to make amends for the excessive behaviour of its security forces.
prosecutions often form a pattern where critical writing political speeches and participation at peaceful demonstrations are used as evidence of terrorism offences and this approach is unacceptable. a solution can be found and will be found but only by including both sides.
that would have been automatic if turkish had become an official language as it should have done in two thousand and four upon the accession of cyprus. i strongly welcome this debate. some of us have tried for many years to put the kurdish issue in turkey on the eu agenda.
the commission high representative and council cannot tread any longer around the issues of this matter because it connects so closely with the issues we constantly raise with turkey a new constitutional settlement democratic and journalistic freedoms the rule of law the proper role of the army and so on. solving the kurdish question is the major key to a stable democratic turkey at ease with diversity.
all the eu institutions not just parliament must now give strong political diplomatic and economic support to the dialogue leading to a negotiated solution which allows kurds with their language to be fully recognised and integrated as citizens of the turkish state.
the eu should press both sides to abandon the military struggle and talk politics.
after almost thirty years of tragic bloodshed the deaths of many thousands of civilians as well as combatants and the displacement of an estimated three million kurds actions must now be taken to ensure that no more lives are lost and that all the people in turkey regardless of their culture or ethnicity are accorded full human rights enshrined in law.
the kurdish paramilitary organisation pkk must now fully renounce all violence and engage in meaningful peaceful talks with turkey without preconditions.
as with so many other conflicts then it is often necessary to negotiate with one's worst enemy we have experience in the united kingdom in northern ireland with the ira the spanish with the basque terrorists and so on in order to achieve a shared goal of peace.
there are also worrying allegations that turkey has relocated kurds to different parts of the country in order to dilute the culture and the perceived military threat.
although i support turkey's development and welcome it as an economic and social partner we cannot deny that the country's human rights record has been questionable over the years particularly with regard to minorities.
although the turkish state has introduced some positive measures in recent years the kurdish language remains subject to restrictions as a language of instruction in schools and organisations promoting the kurdish minority have also been heavily discouraged.
even from prison as a convicted criminal his influence cannot be underestimated.
mr president the kurdish turkish conflict is now the only major insurgency taking place within a member or candidate state of the european union.
the solution is that turkey start to treat its minorities with decency and respect.
i do not blame the kurds for wanting to leave. ankara has a decades long policy of denying them elementary linguistic and other cultural rights.
according to the home affairs select committee of the british house of commons should turkey become a member of the european union up to.
four four million turkish citizens of all ethnic groups would emigrate to britain where they would then have the right to benefits and the nhs.
we should make it crystal clear that turkey an asian country cannot join the.
the kurds in the united kingdom are concentrated in our large cities where even at the present time there is profound pressure on public services especially health and education.
on the one hand the commission monitors the compliance of turkey with the political criteria of which respect for the rights of people belonging to minorities is an important component.
of these talks. i can only encourage them to maintain this constructive solution oriented approach and to resist any provocative action aimed at distracting them from the pursuit of a peaceful solution.
including through financial assistance. my final point if i may i interpret this debate as strong support for a peaceful solution of the kurdish issue and for current talks stressing
disappearances unsolved murders and mass graves in south east turkey.
we raise issues of concern on a regular basis with the turkish authorities and assist them where we can in their reforms.
i hope that the killings do not further unsettle the fragile peace process between turks and kurds. thankfully i am pleased that last year's two month hunger strike by hundreds of kurdish prisoners and ordinary citizens came to an end without incident.
i call on the turkish government to recognise kurdish language rights in the public sphere and other fundamental civil liberties. the eu must do all it can to support minority rights in a candidate country of the european union.
but these events underline the importance of reaching a political settlement on the kurdish question in turkey.
i would like to express my condolences to the families of these victims.
i also think that it is very important that we do not allow this to derail the crucial process of dialogue between both sides.
i think that this certainly is a strongly held view in this chamber where the vast majority of speakers in this debate have talked about the need for dialogue to move forward and to quote mr kelam to achieve a much needed breakthrough'.
settling conflicts in our near neighbourhood is not only in our interest but it is very much in turkey's interests.
this is even more the case at present as turkey is confronted with significant pressure as a result of the conflict in syria.
a number of you have raised the issue of the link between the kurdish issue and turkey's eu accession negotiations.
i also touched upon this in my opening remarks.
we have repeatedly underlined the importance of a comprehensive approach to the issue.
the conditions must be created to allow the predominantly kurdish population in the east and south east of turkey to enjoy full rights and freedoms and full respect for human rights and we hope that turkey's current work on a new constitution will provide a framework for several important reform efforts
therefore i hope that it will be possible to sustain a general consensus among leading parties on the dialogue and possibly get other political forces involved.
there is a very similar challenge for the other side as well.
it is important to stop any violence especially against civilians;
we seek to persuade turkey that although their definition of what it means to be a minority is different from the one adopted in this chamber as a future member of the european union supporting a pluralist society in which minority rights are fully accepted is part of being a member of the european union and is not a threat to the unity of the state. we want our turkish friends and colleagues to understand
that we understand that this is a difficult and sensitive issue in their society.
teaching of the kurdish language in turkish schools is essential as is its use in police stations and courts and elsewhere in public service.
that an opportunity would occur. many mayors and political activists remain in jail arrested because they campaigned in the kurdish language and it is essential that all political prisoners are released. i join with others who say that the kurdish community itself must distance itself from violence
for either side there is no military solution to this conflict.
the winner must be peace.
madam i must ask you to understand and accept that you cannot separate we cannot separate turkey's systematic violation of human rights not just of kurds but of dissenters christians journalists and so on from its application to be a member of the european union.
and the establishment parties of which actually you are not one should be ashamed of themselves that they systematically and consistently cover these matters up.
mr president honourable members this afternoon's debate on the kurdish issue takes place only a few weeks after the terrible and brutal killings of three pkk activists in paris last month.
we share parliament's profound shock at those killings but they serve to underline to all of us the importance of settling the kurdish issue;
that is in the interests of all concerned. a settlement would play a vital role in helping ensure the security and the stability of the region.
the kurdish issue also has important implications for eu enlargement which is a key policy of the european union and a particular priority for the irish presidency.
it is important for turkey's accession process and is raised regularly in the context of the accession negotiations.
as a candidate country turkey has to meet the copenhagen political criteria including the stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy the rule of law human rights and respect for and protection of minorities.
the kurdish issue has implications in all of these areas but also extends to related areas such as cultural rights and socio economic considerations.
the eu's accession partnership with turkey includes a number of priorities which particularly relate to the situation in the east and south east of the country.
these highlight the need for turkey to develop a comprehensive approach to reducing regional disparities. this means improving the situation in the region so as to enhance the economic social and cultural opportunities for all turkish citizens including those of kurdish origin.
clearly the kurdish issue constitutes a major and longstanding challenge for turkey.
continuing terrorist attacks make it harder to reach a solution.
i wish to reiterate here that the eu and its member states strongly condemn terrorism in all forms and are working closely with turkey to combat the terrorist threat.
the pkk is listed by the eu as a terrorist organisation.
within the eu the pkk is involved mainly in fund raising including through criminal activity.
this has led to arrests in a number of european countries.
the eu and its member states are also active in cooperating with turkey in combating terrorism and associated criminal activities via counter terrorism training and information exchange.
whilst much of these activities are devoted specifically to addressing the pkk we are also working closely with turkey in tackling all forms of terrorism including in the global counter terrorism forum in which the eu and turkey co chair the working group on the horn of africa region.
whilst the eu has consistently condemned pkk terrorism it is clear that the wider kurdish issue can only be addressed through a peaceful comprehensive and sustainable solution.
it is a conflict which has claimed far too many victims over the course of three decades and which has created a climate of instability and profound mistrust.
against this background the eu is fully supportive of the ongoing talks between the turkish government and the pkk aimed at ending the conflict.
this is a significant new initiative which offers a positive perspective for the future.
we welcome these moves and we call on both sides to use this opportunity to make real progress.
we also welcome the fact that there is cross party support and backing from civil society for this initiative.
there is a clear indication that there is a real desire for peace.
we will continue to encourage an approach which is inclusive and broad based.
this is essential if it is to have a chance of success.
a successful outcome would also play a crucial role in turkey's own reform process.
it would help encourage further political and constitutional reform which is important for turkey's eu accession.
mr president honourable members this is a courageous initiative and we need to recognise it as such.
we are at the start of what is likely to be a lengthy process.
not everybody is committed to it succeeding.
indeed there will always be some who attempt to derail such a process for their own misguided ends.
the killings in paris remind us tragically that there is strong opposition to any negotiations from some quarters.
but such events cannot be allowed to derail negotiations.
our own experience closer to home shows that any peace process requires both courage and commitment.
we should therefore give our full and unequivocal support to this initiative.
that should be conducted in full respect of the basic fundamental freedoms.
that is why the ongoing discussions are of such historic importance for turkey.
they constitute a great window of opportunity for the ending of terrorism that would hopefully pave the way for an overall solution to the kurdish issue.
the fact that the process has met the support of all stakeholders notably the opposition and has been welcomed by important parts of turkish society gives us more reasons to be optimistic and to believe that the process is truly result oriented.
a successful outcome would not only put an end to a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives over the past three decades it would solve many outstanding problems in turkey and play a crucial role in fostering political and constitutional reforms;
it would be a strong incentive for the adoption of the fourth judicial reform package actually addressing the key problems related to freedom of expression and other fundamental rights;
and it would facilitate the redrafting of the constitution with respect to the rights of citizenship.
in this regard a solution of this issue would have a strong impact on the accession process of turkey as such as it would further consolidate the role of the european union as a benchmark for reforms in turkey.
in turn putting the accession negotiations back on the right track would be a strong incentive for supporting a solution for this issue and the reform process in general.
in the meantime i welcome steps such as the recent adoption of the law allowing for the defence of kurds in kurdish as an important confidence building measure in the context of the ongoing talks.
regarding the redrafting of the constitution we have understood that it has entered a critical stage.
while all parties are to be congratulated for the constructive attitude so far now is the time for results in the spirit of compromise and i cannot underline enough the importance of keeping up the participatory process.
finally a few words on the tragic events which occurred in paris last month.
we are aware of the distress this triple murder has provoked.
we are confident that ongoing investigations by the french authorities will shed full light on this crime. we encourage all parties involved not to let this horrible incident or other possible provocations in the future distract them from their goal to achieve peace.
it is crucial that the european union as a whole conveys its strong and clear support for these ongoing efforts.
it remains equally important that we coordinate our messages of support to turkey.
the commission stands ready to assist where it can including in using our financial assistance under our instrument for pre accession support to support a post conflict and reconciliation strategy and to expand further the socio economic development and the political and cultural rights of citizens of kurdish origin.
the turkish state with its strongly centralising tradition refused and the result was violence a low level insurgency that has claimed many lives.
what has changed in the last few years is the slow shift in the attitude of the turkish government which is moving however reluctantly towards accepting that the suppression of the kurds does not work.
against this background it is vital that the turkish government recognise that without accepting kurds as equal citizens the turkish state will be the scene of ongoing conflict one that will gravely weaken the chances of sustaining a functioning democracy.
but the kurds too will have to accept that their future lies in turkey and that they should not dream of restoring the state that was promised them after the first world war by the west.
this is what the transformation is about and we should not pretend that it will be easy.
we also strongly support turkey's struggle against terrorism.
what is needed is not a superficial conflict resolution but a wholehearted sincere transformation of the mentality which has dominated so far a transformation that will begin with understanding the reasons behind the demands of citizens of turkish kurdish origin.
this should also be the starting point which will lead to the creation of a true democracy in turkey based on the equality of every citizen not just on paper but in practice and in the hearts of the people.
it is of course also very important to support the necessary legislative changes.
in this regard it is crucial that the fourth judicial reform package is adopted to improve democracy freedom of speech and human rights and this is also valid of course for the new constitution.
do you regard turkey's treatment of the kurds that has been eloquently outlined by our colleagues in this chamber as being a qualification for turkey's membership of the european union or not?
eu delegations are at the forefront of translating eu policies into concrete actions on the ground.
our relations with civil society organisations are first and foremost about policy dialogue hence the need for appropriate space for them to share their views.
this implies using all of our diplomatic tools throughout the world human rights dialogues and high level contacts to raise the cases of individuals at risk. supporting a genuinely independent diverse pluralistic and vibrant civil society is essential to help achieve the two thousand and thirty agenda for sustainable development.
the commission and the high representative are committed to continue working closely with the european parliament and eu member states to ensure that together we can build a better environment for civil society organisations.
the progress and achievements since two thousand and twelve are reflected in the commission's report on eu engagement with civil society in external relations which was issued in april this year.
it provides concrete examples of how the eu is acting on its priorities with regard to civil society showing the diversity complementarity and strength of the eu's worldwide interventions in support of civil society.
they all emphasise the crucial role of civil society as actors of governors and development.
when it comes to development cooperation we support partner countries through funding that focuses on engagement with civil society and by ensuring consistency between all relevant eu policies and activities.
the european union is seeking to formulate coherent and effective responses building on the experience gathered so far. we are increasing our efforts in preserving civil space and ensuring an enabling environment for civil society organisations. clear expressions of our strong commitment are the commission's communication on europe's engagement with civil society in partner countries from two thousand and twelve
two thousand and eight we consider human rights defenders as one of the cornerstones of every wellfunctioning state and are key allies in the promotion of the democratisation and expansion of civil space.
overall your report is in line with the thinking and the ongoing work of the commission and the high representative to strengthen our support to civil society organisations and to continue our engagement in promoting their greater autonomy.
the commission and the high representative are engaging with eu partner countries through various channels.
the eu global strategy on foreign and security policy and our new european consensus on development.
providing support and giving them visibility has been and remains one of the major priorities of the eu's external human rights policies.
the report was followed by council conclusions last june which confirm that on this essential point all eu institutions stand united.
we are committed to investing more in existing good practices and highlighting the positive aspects of the sustainable development goals' implementation through civil society organisations.
by preventing the further shrinking of civil space we are not only enabling civil society organisations to engage more effectively as development actors but we are living up to our duty to defend the values of democracy freedom pluralism and solidarity.
however i would like to emphasise that the support to our partner countries is not only financial.
madam president i am very glad to see this report come before parliament at this time because when we look around the world we see civil societies face ever increasing attacks from governments around the world in every region including here in europe.
the european union is a union of values and peoples and it needs to rise to this challenge by investing seriously in the promotion of democracy human rights and the rule of law around the world.
we talk a lot about tackling the root causes of the crises we face the root causes of migration radicalisation and instability but supporting democratic civil society groups ngos and human rights defenders around the world is a key foreign policy priority for the eu and it is really important that we invest in these vital grassroots groups.
i quote from the report and i support the principle of a genuinely independent pluralistic and vibrant civil society'. where civil society is shrinking in developing countries then of course we need that to be reversed.
firstly i think there is a hint of topdown action here a supranational institution working together with national governments to my mind is something that is less valuable than organisations developing organically from the ground up within communities with the support of ngos.