GREEK Cypriot politicians yesterday voiced satisfaction after the European Parliament urged Turkey to pull its troops from the island and stressed the need to reach a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus question based on UN Security Council resolutions.
By a vote of 528 for and 52 against, and 43 abstentions, the EP adopted the draft resolution on Turkey’s progress report, which comes up for review again this autumn.
The draft was drawn up by Dutch conservative MEP Ria Oomen-Ruijten.
Turkey has so far started only ten of the 35 negotiating chapters with the EU. Only one chapter [science and research] has been concluded since talks began in October 2005.
MEPs backed the direct negotiations currently underway between the leaders of the two communities, and urged Ankara “to facilitate a suitable climate for negotiations by withdrawing Turkish forces.”
They “deplore the fact that the EC-Turkey customs union and its additional protocol has not yet been implemented fully by the Turkish government.” They also pointed out that “the non-fulfillment of Turkey’s commitments by December 2009 will further seriously affect the process of accession negotiations.”
Ankara’s non-recognition of Cyprus is blocking the start of talks on eight economic chapters. In addition, Turkey is refusing to allow access to its ports and airports to Cypriot ships and planes.
MEPs also called on Turkey to comply with its obligations under international law and the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights on the Fourth Interstate Application by Cyprus against Turkey regarding investigations into the fate of missing persons. Member States are asked to urge Turkey to take action on this humanitarian issue.
Concern was raised over the “continuous slowdown of the reform process” in Turkey for the third consecutive year. It noted that freedom of expression and freedom of the press are still not fully protected in Turkey. The EP further urges the Turkish government “to prove its political will to continue the reform process” to which it committed itself in 2005.
The draft resolution also calls on the Turkish government to resume work on a new civilian constitution and to take action to reduce the number of “honour killings” of women.
“The references to the Cyprus problem are better than in the past…and this alone represents a positive development,” commented AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou.
From the Greek Cypriot perspective, the sole downside to the resolution was the inclusion an amendment — submitted by the European Green Party — advocating a temporary and partial suspension on the four basic freedoms following reunification of the island.
The derogations from EU law would relate to restrictions on free movement and caps on the number of Turkish nationals who can settle on the island until such time as Turkey joins the bloc.
All six Cypriot MEPs voted against the amendment.
While acknowledging that the reference to the four basic freedoms was not ideal, MEP Panayiotis Demetriou said that it was “not the end of the world.”
He said the reference was likely included to “balance things out,” as a number of MEPs voiced fears that the general tone of the resolution was too one-sided against Turkey.
“It was a compromise, as is so often the case,” Demetriou said.
“We should not miss the wood for the trees. Because at the end of the day, the decision on whether to suspend the four basic freedoms during a transition period [post-reunification] will be made by the two leaders negotiating the settlement, and not anyone else.”
And in a brief statement released from his Brussels office, MEP Marios Matsakis described the resolution as “quite satisfactory.”
