Cyprus-Forum.com

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Wednesday, March 9, 2011
FULYA ÖZERKAN
ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

The European Parliament expressed serious doubts about press freedom in Turkey in a criticism-laden report it adopted Wednesday. It said it was closely following the latest arrests of journalists, including Ahmet Şık and Nedim Şener, for alleged links to a plot to topple the government.

The European Parliament “is concerned about the deterioration in freedom of the press, about certain acts of censorship and about growing self-censorship within the Turkish media, including on the Internet [and] calls on the Turkish government to uphold the principles of press freedom,” said the non-binding report penned by the European Parliament’s Turkey rapporteur, Ria Oomen-Ruijten, a Dutch Christian Democrat politician.

The European Parliament has also decided “to closely follow the cases of Nedim Şener, Ahmet Şık and other journalists facing police or judicial harassment,” according to the report, the most critical drafted by the European body in recent years.

This motion to insert this amendment into the report was verbally given by Oomen-Ruijten and adopted following a police raid on the homes of a group of journalists last week, a move that drew strong criticism from the European Union, the United States and human-rights organizations. Some 38 proposals were submitted for amendments to the critical report at a session Tuesday.

Critics say the arrests are part of a bid to silence voices ahead of the June 12 general elections, which the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, is expected to win.

The Foreign Ministry said in a written statement Wednesday that the report adopted by the European Parliament contained one-sided elements that are not in line with reality and cannot be accepted by Turkey. “As a country negotiating with the EU, Turkey expects the European Parliament to be fair and objective and to display the seriousness required by its function.”

The report stressed that an independent press is crucial for a democratic society and pointed, in this context, to the essential role of the judiciary in protecting and enhancing press freedom, thereby guaranteeing public space for free debate and contributing to the proper functioning of the system of checks and balances.

It underscored the need for adoption of a new media law addressing issues of independence, ownership and administrative control and said the European Parliament had decided to closely follow the cases of Şener, Şık and other journalists facing police or judicial harassment.

CHP: Toughest report ever

The European Parliament’s latest report is the toughest-worded document drafted since Turkey and the EU began formal accession negotiations in 2005, the Brussels chief of the main opposition party said Wednesday.

“Despite the fact that the European Parliament and other EU institutions cannot analyze Turkey’s situation correctly, taking into consideration the whole of events and the cause-effect relationship, the scene painted by Brussels on the situation today is saddening,” Kader Sevinç, the Brussels representative of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review in an interview.

Sevinç sent a written note to CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu briefing him about the content of the report.

“Unfortunately, the CHP’s reservations about the government-led constitutional amendments proved right: Those responsible for the Sept. 12 [1980] military coup cannot be tried, judge and prosecutor appointments have been politicized, authoritarian tendencies have grown stronger, pressure on the media has increased, freedoms are being limited and social polarization is deepening,” Sevinç told the Daily News.

“We see in the report that the importance of these issues is becoming better understood by the European Parliament, which is directly elected by the EU public,” she said.

The Brussels chief criticized the AKP for not doing enough to open the three EU accession-negotiation chapters – those on competition, social policy and public procurement – that carry no political baggage.

“The government remains unwilling to open the social policy and competition chapters because there is a need for reforms on state aid, the unregistered economy, gender equality at work and child labor,” said Sevinç.

Turkey has thus far opened 13 chapters in its negotiations with the European bloc. The talks have slowed down since 2005 due to Ankara’s refusal to open its ports to shipping from Greek Cyprus as well as stiff opposition from some member states, including France.

CHP establishes shadow team

Sevinç said the CHP was closely following Turkey’s accession process and had established a “shadow CHP team monitoring EU negotiations.” The team, led by Sevinç, is following each and every negotiating chapter in the Turkish-EU talks and briefing Kılıçdaroğlu about the progress made.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php? ... 2011-03-09

[bill cobbett]

Press releases on the subject direct from the Euro Parl at www.europarl.europa.eu ....

Enlargement: slow progress by Turkey regretted.
Enlargement − 09-03-2011 - 13:30



In two resolutions adopted on Wednesday on the progress of Turkey and Montenegro in their EU membership negotiations, Parliament express concern at the "slow progress" on human rights and key reforms in Turkey in 2010, while welcoming Montenegro's official candidate status despite concerns over corruption.

The Cyprus-Turkey deadlock, lack of dialogue among Turkish political parties and the undermining of press freedom and other basic rights in Turkey are the key factors slowing down the country's EU accession talks, said rapporteur Ria Oomen-Ruijten (EPP, NL) during the debate.

The resolution, adopted with the support of a large majority of MEPs, welcomes Turkey's adoption of constitutional amendments but stresses that "an overall constitutional reform" is still needed to transform Turkey into a real democracy. MEPs also applaud the recent finalisation of negotiations on a readmission agreement to handle migration. Once this enters into force, the Commission should initiate "a visa dialogue, with particular attention to the matter of entry conditions for business people and students".

Among the main remaining challenges, MEPs list the worrying deterioration of press freedom, including self-censorship of national media and internet sites; the situation of women and rising rates of honour killings and forced marriages; and the lack of protection of religious minorities. "Only limited progress" has been made to ensure their legal protection so that they can own properties, open houses of worship or train clergy, adds the resolution.

The wording and specific demands of the text were hammered out in tough negotiations among Parliament's political groups. During the drafting process by the Foreign Affairs Committee, the EPP group agreed to withdraw an amendment calling on EU institutions to "study the possibility" of establishing a "privileged partnership" with Turkey, as an alternative to full EU membership.

In exchange, the committee avoided mentioning the "common goal of full EU membership" for Turkey, as the socialists would have wished. The final text instead has the same wording as last year, describing the opening of Turkey's accession negotiations in 2005 as the "starting point for a long-lasting and open-ended process".

[bill cobbett]

Oh and you can see a recording of the debate at...

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/wps-europ ... anguage=en

[CBBB]

And now they are throwing their toys out of the pram!

http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=hab ... leID=70853

Turkey slams EP progress report
Turkish Foreign Ministry said European Parliament's reports can have a meaning for Turkey only if the parliament takes a serious, constructive and neutral stand.



Turkey slammed a progress report adopted by the European Parliament on Wednesday with an overwhelming majority on negotiations between the EU and Turkey, saying the report includes views that are "one-sided, unacceptable and irrelevant to reality."

Turkish Foreign Ministry said European Parliament's reports can have a meaning for Turkey only if the parliament takes a serious, constructive and neutral stand.

Rapporteur Ria Oomen-Ruijten's report criticized Turkey on freedom of press, freedom of expression and expressed concern over long pre-trial periods in coup cases such as Ergenekon and Balyoz (Sledgehammer) and recent detention of well-known Turkish journalists. It also called on Turkish government to lower the 10 percent electoral threshold, and to facilitate a suitable climate for Cyprus reunification talks by starting to withdraw its forces from Cyprus immediately.

In a statement shortly after the Parliament adopted the report, Turkish Foreign Ministry said that the report touches partly on positive steps taken regarding reforms made in Turkey. The ministry said EU institutions should make their evaluations on candidate countries with an encouraging attitude.

"Turkey, as a negotiating EU candidate country, expects European Parliament, the voice of European people and EU public, to take a fair and objective stand and display seriousness required by its function," the statement said.

"We observe that the report includes some views of a limited number of MEPs, who represent certain countries, with concern on their domestic politics at the cost of risking EU's interests," it said.

The statement said such a stance cannot be considered logical and commonsensical taking into account historical background of Turkish-EU relations, shared values, interests and goals.

The statement also reaffirmed Turkey's determination to continue on its path toward the goal of EU membership.

[insan]

MEPs concerned over press freedom in Hungary - Newstalk.ie
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18 Jan 2011 ... The Labour Party MEP Proinsias de Rossa has heavily criticised recent Hungarian restrictions on press freedom. He is concerned Hungary will ...
www.newstalk.ie/.../2meps-concerned-ove ... -hungry68/


Hungarian media law triggers EU debate on press freedom | EurActiv
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23 Feb 2011 ... The controversy surrounding the Hungarian media law has triggered heated comments in EU circles, but few bothered to look at the situation ...
www.euractiv.com/.../hungarian-media-la ... ews-502438


Hungarian press freedom threatened - Global Journalist
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20 Dec 2010 ... Home / Recent Stories / Hungarian press freedom threatened. On July 23, hungary's press freedom took a step back with the passing of a media ...
www.globaljournalist.org/.../hungarian- ... hreatened/

Press freedom "sacrosanct," Hungarian president assures Brussels ...
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26 Jan 2011 ... Brussels - Hungary is resolutely committed to press freedom and freedom of expression, President Pal Schmitt said Wednesday in Brussels, ...
www.monstersandcritics.com/.../Press-fr ... s-Brussels


Fekkin bloody Hun Turks! Turks r Turks all around the world! Even if they r a member of EU or not!