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SECOND 2004 EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT REPORT ON TURKEY EVOKES DISCUSSION ON
ARMENIAN ISSUES AND 483 AMENDMENTS
STRASBOURG, November 19 (Noyan Tapan). On November 15, the Foreign
Affairs Committee (AFET) of the European Parliament examined the second
2004 parliamentarian report "on Turkey's progress towards accession"
presented by the young Dutch representative Camiel Eurlings (EPP).
According to the European Armenian Federation for Justice and
Democracy, before commencing debate, parliamentarians had a chance
to review the 483 amendments tabled on the brief seven-page report,
which attest that Turkey's accession remains a sensitive issue. The
most prominent general criticism about the Eurlings report was the
fact that it expresses no clear position on the possibility of starting
accession negotiations with this country.
Regarding Armenian issues, the provisional version of the Eurlings
report states that, "whereas the border between Turkey and Armenia
has still not been reopened by the Turkish authorities, who have
thereby missed an opportunity to promote good neighbourly relations
with Armenia", and mentions that the European Parliament "calls
on the Governments of Turkey and Armenia to start a process of
reconciliation [.] in order to overcome the tragic experience of the
past and requests the Turkish government to reopen the borders with
Armenia as soon as possible".
The amendments to the report as well as the debates focused largely
on Armenian issues, including recognition of the Armenian Genocide,
the blockade of Armenia, as well as article 305 of the Turkish Penal
Code that penalizes the affirmation of the Genocide or dissident
opinions on the Cyprus issue.
Amendments demanding explicitly the recognition of the Genocide and
the lifting of the blockade were submitted by members of Parliament
from Communist, Socialist, Christian-Democrat (EPP), Liberal and
Sovereignist groups, all major parliamentary groups except the Greens,
who unconditionally support Turkey's accession to Europe.
Amendments resulting from Turkish denial efforts were also submitted
by members of Parliament from certain parties, except the Communists
and Sovereignists. Particularly, Mr Rocard (France) and Mrs De Keyser
(Belgium), respectively shadow rapporteur and AFET coordinator for
the Socialist party presented their own amendments, representing
marginal positions in the European Socialist Party as being those of
the whole party. Many Socialist members of Parliament have expressed
concern about these methods. Mr Rocard's amendment 131 praising "the
reopening to pilgrims of the Armenian National Mausoleum in northern
Anatolia, the lifting of the ban on the use of minority languages,
including Kurdish and Armenian, and the remarkable work carried out
by Turkish historians on the genocide and the re-establishment of
state relations with the Republic of Armenia" is of particular concern.
"We have pointed out to Mr Rocard and to his associates that their
affirmations are not only blatant lies, but that by spreading them,
they actively open invite the denial of Genocide crimes in Europe",
declared Hilda Tchoboian, Chairperson of the European Armenian
Federation.
The European Armenian Federation has been actively working with
the European Parliament and the European Commission to enforce the
resolution of 18 June 1987, which calls on Turkey to recognize the
Armenian Genocide as a pre-condition to European candidacy. Despite
Turkish pressures, those efforts have been crowned with success: since
2004, several European Parliament reports have explicitly asked Turkey
to recognise the Genocide and to lift the blockade. In its October 2004
report, the European Commission itself evoked for the first time the
Genocide issue, though using vague and somewhat watered-down language.
"Today, Europe cannot afford to ignore any longer the Genocide and the
blockade in its relationships with Turkey," concluded the Chairperson
of the European Armenian Federation.
The vote on the Eurlings report in Foreign Affairs Committee will be
held on November 22, 2005 in Brussels.
ARMENIAN ISSUES AND 483 AMENDMENTS
STRASBOURG, November 19 (Noyan Tapan). On November 15, the Foreign
Affairs Committee (AFET) of the European Parliament examined the second
2004 parliamentarian report "on Turkey's progress towards accession"
presented by the young Dutch representative Camiel Eurlings (EPP).
According to the European Armenian Federation for Justice and
Democracy, before commencing debate, parliamentarians had a chance
to review the 483 amendments tabled on the brief seven-page report,
which attest that Turkey's accession remains a sensitive issue. The
most prominent general criticism about the Eurlings report was the
fact that it expresses no clear position on the possibility of starting
accession negotiations with this country.
Regarding Armenian issues, the provisional version of the Eurlings
report states that, "whereas the border between Turkey and Armenia
has still not been reopened by the Turkish authorities, who have
thereby missed an opportunity to promote good neighbourly relations
with Armenia", and mentions that the European Parliament "calls
on the Governments of Turkey and Armenia to start a process of
reconciliation [.] in order to overcome the tragic experience of the
past and requests the Turkish government to reopen the borders with
Armenia as soon as possible".
The amendments to the report as well as the debates focused largely
on Armenian issues, including recognition of the Armenian Genocide,
the blockade of Armenia, as well as article 305 of the Turkish Penal
Code that penalizes the affirmation of the Genocide or dissident
opinions on the Cyprus issue.
Amendments demanding explicitly the recognition of the Genocide and
the lifting of the blockade were submitted by members of Parliament
from Communist, Socialist, Christian-Democrat (EPP), Liberal and
Sovereignist groups, all major parliamentary groups except the Greens,
who unconditionally support Turkey's accession to Europe.
Amendments resulting from Turkish denial efforts were also submitted
by members of Parliament from certain parties, except the Communists
and Sovereignists. Particularly, Mr Rocard (France) and Mrs De Keyser
(Belgium), respectively shadow rapporteur and AFET coordinator for
the Socialist party presented their own amendments, representing
marginal positions in the European Socialist Party as being those of
the whole party. Many Socialist members of Parliament have expressed
concern about these methods. Mr Rocard's amendment 131 praising "the
reopening to pilgrims of the Armenian National Mausoleum in northern
Anatolia, the lifting of the ban on the use of minority languages,
including Kurdish and Armenian, and the remarkable work carried out
by Turkish historians on the genocide and the re-establishment of
state relations with the Republic of Armenia" is of particular concern.
"We have pointed out to Mr Rocard and to his associates that their
affirmations are not only blatant lies, but that by spreading them,
they actively open invite the denial of Genocide crimes in Europe",
declared Hilda Tchoboian, Chairperson of the European Armenian
Federation.
The European Armenian Federation has been actively working with
the European Parliament and the European Commission to enforce the
resolution of 18 June 1987, which calls on Turkey to recognize the
Armenian Genocide as a pre-condition to European candidacy. Despite
Turkish pressures, those efforts have been crowned with success: since
2004, several European Parliament reports have explicitly asked Turkey
to recognise the Genocide and to lift the blockade. In its October 2004
report, the European Commission itself evoked for the first time the
Genocide issue, though using vague and somewhat watered-down language.
"Today, Europe cannot afford to ignore any longer the Genocide and the
blockade in its relationships with Turkey," concluded the Chairperson
of the European Armenian Federation.
The vote on the Eurlings report in Foreign Affairs Committee will be
held on November 22, 2005 in Brussels.