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EP01, RESOLUTION ON THE EU ACCESSION OF TURKEY (submitted by the PC Global Europe)

Resolution on the EU accession of Turkey

Based on the recommendation of the European Commission and the decision of the European Council in 2004, accession negotiations with Turkey have been opened on the 3rd of October 2005 after it having fulfilld the Copenhagen criteria sufficiently. Turkey made positive improvements, which have been greatly motivated by the quest for EU membership. It is important to continue these democratising reforms through an objective and rational approach to the accession negotiations.

JEF-Europe:

- Recognises that, despite the impressive reforms already passed, progress is still needed before Turkey meets the required EU standard of respect for human rights and minority rights,

- Fears that the role of the Turkish army in politics is still too influential in order to meet modern democratic standards, according to which all power is directly coming from the people,

- Notes that the scale of economic and agricultural reform required to enable Turkey to join the European Union is of a magnitude never before seen in previous accession negotiations,

- Believes that a peaceful compromise about the reunification of Cyprus should be pursued more actively,

- Is concerned that, in their present form, the EU institutions and EU budgetary provisions would be inadequate to be able to incorporate Turkey into the European Union,

JEF-Europe nevertheless:

- Appreciates that Turkey made already valuable improvements as regards federal values such as democracy, the rule of law and human rights,

- Rejects any notion that Turkey could not become a Member State of the European Union due to cultural or religious differences with other Member States,

- States its position that the accession of Turkey must not include double-standards and must be on the basis of objective criteria concerning respect for democracy, the rule of law and respect for human and minority rights that are the same for any Member State wishing to join the European Union,

- Underlines the requirement that states must wish to accede to a political community and that citizens should consider themselves to be European and share the political goals, aims and aspirations of the Union, among which the irrevocable separation of church and state and the absolute non-interference of the army in politics,

- Stresses that on the side of the EU, normal procedures must be applied and thus also firmly rejects the idea of imposing permanent restrictions on the free movement of Turkish citizens if and when Turkey joins the EU.

JEF-Europe therefore:

- Calls for a re-intensification of efforts to democratise the European Union, continuing in parallel to accession negotiations, to ensure that federal institutions and budgetary procedures are in place by the time Turkey is entirely ready to join the European Union,

- Calls on all European governments not to stir up the people and especially refrain from threatening to hold referenda, but instead communicate Turkey’s progress on reforms in a fair and open atmosphere to the citizen.