Post by tileiohmaleas on May 27, 2008 9:26:00 GMT -5
By Annie Charalambous
The European Parliament’s latest progress report on Turkey underlining the need for occupation troops to leave Cyprus appears to satisfy the government, according to insiders.
But EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn’s view that Turkey’s role in fresh efforts to solve the Cyprus problem will be positive was taken with a pinch of salt.
"The report is positive, it stresses the need for Turkey to work positively towards a Cyprus settlement. The reference to the need for the withdrawal of troops is also very good," the same source told the Cyprus Weekly.
"The report calls on Turkey to abide by its obligations to the Protocol. So far it has made no such move but Mr Rehn and other Commission officials have to be both very careful and diplomatic with Ankara," the source added.
The report, adopted on Wednesday by a large majority of 467 for, 62 against and 61 abstentions, was drawn up by Dutch MEP Ria Oomen-Ruijten.
Encourage
Specifically on Cyprus-Turkey relations, it welcomes the March 21, 2008 agreement between President Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat. Especially positive is a note added by the Socialist Group that "the withdrawal of the Turkish troops would assist negotiations towards an overall settlement."
The report also encourages the Turkish government to implement the Protocol, underlining that non-implementation of Ankara’s commitments would continue to affect negatively accession negotiations.
As for the report’s rapporteur, she called on Turkey to "have a constructive stand towards the Cyprus problem’s resolution."
Cypriot MEPs Ioannis Kasoulides and Panayiotis Demetriou took the floor during the debate to express their views.
Kasoulides stressed the need for Ankara to prove its political will on Cyprus, so that a solution based on the principles of the EU, without any presence of occupation troops or the unilateral right to intervene militarily, is achieved.
Control
Demetriou said both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots now want a solution, and believe they could and should reach a settlement that enables them to live peacefully within the EU.
"Turkey, which occupies militarily and has the political control of northern Cyprus, should understand that the Cyprus problem’s settlement would benefit both Greek and Turkish Cypriots, but also Turkey itself," he added.
MEP Yiannakis Matsis said in a statement the withdrawal of Turkish troops should be discussed at the working groups preparing the ground for substantial talks, in the form of possible Confidence Building Measures.
Also in written statements, MEP Adamos Adamou said Turkey’s embargo on Cypriot-flagged vessels and aircrafts should be immediately lifted.
And MEP Marios Matsakis described those confronting the Turkish military status quo as very brave, and called the EU to fully support them.
Moreover, the own-initiative report welcomes recent legislative activities in Turkey, while insisting that the speed of reforms must pick up.
More specifically, it "welcomes the commitment of Prime Minister Erdogan that 2008 is going to be the year of reforms" and "urges the Turkish government to fulfill its promises" by implementing them.
It also notes that "further delays will seriously affect the pace of negotiations."
Among the concerns of the EP is the role of the judiciary and the military in modern Turkey, the Kurdish question, gender issues, and excessive use of force by Turkish police against demonstrators at this year’s May Day parade in Istanbul.
The European Parliament’s latest progress report on Turkey underlining the need for occupation troops to leave Cyprus appears to satisfy the government, according to insiders.
But EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn’s view that Turkey’s role in fresh efforts to solve the Cyprus problem will be positive was taken with a pinch of salt.
"The report is positive, it stresses the need for Turkey to work positively towards a Cyprus settlement. The reference to the need for the withdrawal of troops is also very good," the same source told the Cyprus Weekly.
"The report calls on Turkey to abide by its obligations to the Protocol. So far it has made no such move but Mr Rehn and other Commission officials have to be both very careful and diplomatic with Ankara," the source added.
The report, adopted on Wednesday by a large majority of 467 for, 62 against and 61 abstentions, was drawn up by Dutch MEP Ria Oomen-Ruijten.
Encourage
Specifically on Cyprus-Turkey relations, it welcomes the March 21, 2008 agreement between President Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat. Especially positive is a note added by the Socialist Group that "the withdrawal of the Turkish troops would assist negotiations towards an overall settlement."
The report also encourages the Turkish government to implement the Protocol, underlining that non-implementation of Ankara’s commitments would continue to affect negatively accession negotiations.
As for the report’s rapporteur, she called on Turkey to "have a constructive stand towards the Cyprus problem’s resolution."
Cypriot MEPs Ioannis Kasoulides and Panayiotis Demetriou took the floor during the debate to express their views.
Kasoulides stressed the need for Ankara to prove its political will on Cyprus, so that a solution based on the principles of the EU, without any presence of occupation troops or the unilateral right to intervene militarily, is achieved.
Control
Demetriou said both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots now want a solution, and believe they could and should reach a settlement that enables them to live peacefully within the EU.
"Turkey, which occupies militarily and has the political control of northern Cyprus, should understand that the Cyprus problem’s settlement would benefit both Greek and Turkish Cypriots, but also Turkey itself," he added.
MEP Yiannakis Matsis said in a statement the withdrawal of Turkish troops should be discussed at the working groups preparing the ground for substantial talks, in the form of possible Confidence Building Measures.
Also in written statements, MEP Adamos Adamou said Turkey’s embargo on Cypriot-flagged vessels and aircrafts should be immediately lifted.
And MEP Marios Matsakis described those confronting the Turkish military status quo as very brave, and called the EU to fully support them.
Moreover, the own-initiative report welcomes recent legislative activities in Turkey, while insisting that the speed of reforms must pick up.
More specifically, it "welcomes the commitment of Prime Minister Erdogan that 2008 is going to be the year of reforms" and "urges the Turkish government to fulfill its promises" by implementing them.
It also notes that "further delays will seriously affect the pace of negotiations."
Among the concerns of the EP is the role of the judiciary and the military in modern Turkey, the Kurdish question, gender issues, and excessive use of force by Turkish police against demonstrators at this year’s May Day parade in Istanbul.