EU WARNS TURKEY TO STEP UP REFORMS TO AVOID ‘TRAIN CRASH’
by Sibel Utku Bila
Agence France Presse — English
October 3, 2006 Tuesday 4:30 PM GMT
Turkey faces a "train crash" in its relations with the European Union
if it fails to step up democratic reforms and resolve a trade row
with Cyprus, EU enlargement chief Olli Rehn said here Tuesday.
The stern warning came on the first anniversary of the inauguration
of Turkey’s accession talks and just weeks before the EU issues
on November 8 a crucial report on the country’s progress towards
membership.
"I want to make sure that the first anniversary (of the talks) is
not the last one," Rehn told a news conference. "I want to work for
avoiding a train crash in Turkey-EU relations."
Highlighting the benefits of Turkey’s EU membership, the enlargement
commissioner said it would ease mounting tensions between the West
and Muslim countries if Turkey carries out the necessary reforms and
meets all EU criteria.
"In the current situation when… relations between Europe and Islam
is the greatest challenge of our time, it simply won’t make sense to
allow the things to lead to a train crash," he said.
Rehn urged Ankara to pass reforms to ensure freedom of speech,
a major area of concern after dozens of intellectuals were charged
with denigrating the Turkish nation under a penal code article, and
to grant trade priviliges to Cyprus under a customs union agreement.
"Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of our common democratic
values. I cannot even imagine a member of the EU that will not
respect such a fundamental European principle," Rehn said earlier at
a conference on trade union rights.
A string of intellectuals, including best-selling writers Orhan Pamuk
and Elif Shafak, have stood trial under Article 301 of the penal code,
which envisages up to three years in jail for insulting "Turkishness"
and state institutions.
No one has yet been imprisoned under the provision, but the
appeals court in July upheld the suspended six-month sentence of
a Turkish-Armenian journalist, setting an alarming precedent for
pending cases.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he is open to proposals
to amend the article, but no action has been taken so far amid vocal
opposition by nationalist-minded Justice Minister Cemil Cicek.
Speaking after talks with Rehn, Cicek rejected EU pressure to
amend Article 301 before the crucial November 8 report, arguing that
"parliament is not under the government’s command," and that an upsurge
in Kurdish rebel violence this year was making it harder for Ankara
to expand freedoms.
He also charged that freedom of speech was being breached in EU
countries, pointing to a French draft law that would make it a
punishable offense to deny that the massacres of Armenians under the
Ottoman Empire amounted to genocide.
"While asking why freedom of expression is being restricted in Turkey,
one cannot turn a blind eye to a draft law that will be taken up on
October 12 in an EU country," he said.
On the row over Cyprus, Rehn said he was hopeful that a formula
proposed by the EU’s Finnish presidency would resolve the stalemate.
Turkey is under pressure to open its air and sea ports to the
internationally recognised Cyprus government under a customs union
agreement with the EU, or face a suspension of its membership talks.
Ankara insists that Cypriot ships and planes will remain barred from
Turkish ports unless the EU unless delivers on its promise to ease
trade restrictions on the island’s breakaway Turkish Cypriot state,
recognized only by Turkey.
"The Finnish formula has not been rejected by any of the parties so
far, including Turkey," Rehn said. "I trust all parties sense the
seriousness of the issue and try their best to find a solution."
He also called on Ankara to improve the rights of women and non-Muslim
religious communities as "other very important issues of urgency."
In another sticking point, Rehn urged the government to keep up reforms
to strengthen civilian control over the influential Turkish military
"like in any European democracy."
On Monday, chief of staff Yasar Buyukanit angrily rejected EU criticism
of its influence in politics, saying that the charges had exceeded
"the limits of tolerance," and asserted the army’s right to have
a say on issues concerning national security and the protection of
Turkey’s strictly secular system.
Rehn was scheduled to meet with Erdogan, Foreign Minister Abdullah
Gul as well as other officials before he wraps up his visit Thursday.