Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris

REVUE DE PRESSE~PRESS REVIEW~BERHEVOKAÇAPÊ~RIVISTA STAMPA~DENTRO DE LA PRENSA~BASIN ÖZETi
6
Turkish Probe June 2,1995
CLAUDIA ROTH: Germany'sClaudiaRoth,the leaderof
the Greensgroup in the EuropeanParliament,says she
wants to see Turkeycloser to Europe,but certainconditionshaveto
be right.
DEP deputies to reverse the sentence would not be
taken up until next year. 'We have said, in our contacts
in Ankara, that we would like to vote after a
result is reached," she added. "We are looking
towards the appeals process. We will base our
assessment on that."
But Lalurniere, for example, carefully refrained
from saying that the ratification of the customs
union depended on the release of the deputies. '"
would not go as far as saying that," she told a private
TV channel. "But it is true that we are very sensitive
to that."
Roth, who has visited the deputies at least twice
this year, said she was aware of the independence
of the judiciary but that "the government and the
political parties should work toward their release"
rather than work against it.
However, the clearest message given by the
three deputies was that Turkey had to make some
progress on democratization before the European
Parliament vote. "We will be very attentive in the
coming weeks ... and before the European
Parliament vote on customs union - this period will
be crucial for Turkey and for us," Catherine
Lalurniere said. "We hope for good news from
Turkey in the coming weeks."
"For us customs union is not just about economic
integration," Green said. "It is also the closest possible
relationship the EU can have with any country
short of full membership ...We have to have confidence
that the countries with which we have that
relationship have the same fundamental democratic
and human rights values."
She said while the Turkish withdrawal from northern
Iraq was a welcome development, this did not
mean that all the reservations of the European
Parliament had now been dropped.
The reserves expressed by the three deputies,
like those of most Turks, concern the lack of "parliamentary
progress" on the democratization package.
"That the package exists is progress," Green said.
"What we want to see now is that as much of it as
PAULINEGREEN:BritishSocialistPaulineGreenurges
Turkey to pass the democratization package through
Parliament,sayingthat the votefor ratificationof the customs
unionwil not be delayedunlessthereis a concrete
reasonto do so.
possible passes parliament."
The package, which proposes changes to
Turkey's 1982 military era constitution as well as a
relaxation of its tight restrictions on the freedom of
expression, is wending a slow path through parliament
in the face of hardliner objections, particularly
from Çiller's own True Path Party (DYP).
What most confused the three deputies during
their visit to Turkey were the different voices they
heard about the democratization package. "There
are different groups which, I grant, is the necessity
of a democratic system," Lalumiere said. "But I
guess you know whose success we, the European
Parliament, wants."
A Turkish diplomat who accompanied the three
visitors during some of their meetings with Turkish
deputies, ministers and diplomats expressed downright
exasperation. "We take them to see Çiller ~
Çiller says she is committed to democratization by
September. Then they visit a parliamentary group
and a deputy, from the same party as the prime
minister, says it would not do to rush," the diplomat
said. "Some other deputy says that Turkey is not
ready for some of the reforms, such as lifting the
Article 8 of the anti-terrorism law, and including it in
the Penal Code.
Both politicians and diplomats indicate, on the
other hand, provided some steps are taken, it would
not be too difficult to convince the European
Parliament since most of the deputies are already
convinced by their respective government's arguments
that Turkey is strategically important for the
European Union.
"All we needis the political will to do this," the
diplomat said.
And what if even this small step is not possible?
Diplomats say that a six month delay before bringing
the customs union accord before the European
Parliament will cause the whole deal to lose
momentum but, if the only alternative would be a
negative result in the vote, even that may be
done.•
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