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FULE: EU, TURKEY INCREASINGLY UNHAPPY ABOUT RELATIONS
PanARMENIAN.Net
November 19, 2011 - 10:14 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Both the European Union and Turkey are increasingly
unhappy about the current state of their mutual relations, according
to the EU's commissioner for enlargement.
"There is a great deal of frustration in the relationship on our side
because we had hoped the reform process that your people want and
would benefit from, have been slower than we hoped," Stefan Fule said
at the "Turkey-EU: Common Interests Revisited" conference, which was
held in Istanbul on Nov. 17 and 18.
"But we should not become hostage to that frustration. Turkey and
the EU need each other more and more everyday," Fule said.
Fule also said they were concerned about the recent arrest of Turkish
intellectuals and the state of the press freedom in Turkey.
"The anti-terror law in the penal code and legislative framework is
not adequate to protect the freedom of expression in Turkey. Also, the
interpretation by prosecutors and judges in the European Convention
of Human Rights on the issue of media freedom is too restrictive,"
Fule told journalists during a press conference on the sidelines of
the conference.
Fule said the European Commission would actively take part in
remedying the situation in Turkey. "We are in regular contact with
the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on this issue to help
Turkish authorities, especially the justice minister, on a series of
steps - including amending the anti-terrorist act and penal code -
to address the shortcomings of that legislative framework. We will
be part of this program and we will finance it," he said.
Fule also said the EU was investing 4.8 million euros in helping Turkey
enact reforms between 2007 and 2013. "I am not talking about loans,
I am talking about EU money each and every year being committed
to reform in Turkey. I hope and trust all this money will be used
efficiently for the benefit of the Turkish people," he said.
EU Minister Egemen Bağış, in turn, criticized the EU decision-making
system. "It should not be acceptable in democracy that two countries
are making the decisions for 27 countries. The EU should also review
its decision-making mechanisms," Bağış said.
PanARMENIAN.Net
November 19, 2011 - 10:14 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Both the European Union and Turkey are increasingly
unhappy about the current state of their mutual relations, according
to the EU's commissioner for enlargement.
"There is a great deal of frustration in the relationship on our side
because we had hoped the reform process that your people want and
would benefit from, have been slower than we hoped," Stefan Fule said
at the "Turkey-EU: Common Interests Revisited" conference, which was
held in Istanbul on Nov. 17 and 18.
"But we should not become hostage to that frustration. Turkey and
the EU need each other more and more everyday," Fule said.
Fule also said they were concerned about the recent arrest of Turkish
intellectuals and the state of the press freedom in Turkey.
"The anti-terror law in the penal code and legislative framework is
not adequate to protect the freedom of expression in Turkey. Also, the
interpretation by prosecutors and judges in the European Convention
of Human Rights on the issue of media freedom is too restrictive,"
Fule told journalists during a press conference on the sidelines of
the conference.
Fule said the European Commission would actively take part in
remedying the situation in Turkey. "We are in regular contact with
the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on this issue to help
Turkish authorities, especially the justice minister, on a series of
steps - including amending the anti-terrorist act and penal code -
to address the shortcomings of that legislative framework. We will
be part of this program and we will finance it," he said.
Fule also said the EU was investing 4.8 million euros in helping Turkey
enact reforms between 2007 and 2013. "I am not talking about loans,
I am talking about EU money each and every year being committed
to reform in Turkey. I hope and trust all this money will be used
efficiently for the benefit of the Turkish people," he said.
EU Minister Egemen Bağış, in turn, criticized the EU decision-making
system. "It should not be acceptable in democracy that two countries
are making the decisions for 27 countries. The EU should also review
its decision-making mechanisms," Bağış said.