REHN CALLS ON GOV’T TO DECLARE 2009 REFORM YEAR
Today’s Zaman
Nov 6 2008
Turkey
Announcing the release of the annual progress report in Brussels
yesterday, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn called on the Justice
and Development Party (AK Party) government to mark the year 2009 as
a year of reform.
"I call on Turkey to enliven the reforms and to strengthen the rule of
law and basic freedoms," said Rehn, who expressed regret over Turkey’s
loss of valuable time and badly needed energy during a closure case
against the AK Party, a day before the release of the critical EU
progress report.
The European Commission was critical of the Turkish government,
the military and the judicial system as well as the main opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP) while praising President Abdullah
Gul in the report.
The report criticized the government for failing to come through with
a consistent and comprehensive reform plan despite the strong mandate
it was given in the general elections of July 22, 2007.
The report indirectly included criticism of Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan. Criticizing legal provisions that restrict freedom
of expression, the report — in an apparent reference to Erdogan’s
call for a boycott of Dogan Media Group publications over the Deniz
Feneri e.V. case — stated, "There have been statements by senior
figures strongly criticizing the press, in particular, following press
reports on alleged corruption cases and the fight against terrorism."
For the first time, the EU directly criticized top members of the
judiciary in this year’s report. According to the report, senior
members of the judiciary made political statements, and these
statements may have a negative impact on court cases that may be
brought before them in the future.
"Concerns remain about the impartiality of the judiciary. On some
occasions senior members of the judiciary made public political
comments which may compromise their impartiality in future cases,"
it stated, emphasizing that "reforms in the area of the judiciary
are a priority of the accession partnership."
The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) took their share of criticism from
the EU. The report listed secularism, the Cyprus issue, the Kurdish
problem and political parties as examples of subjects regarding
which the TSK continues to make statements despite the fact that
these issues are not within the military’s sphere of authority.
"The Turkish Armed Forces still deny access to military receptions
and briefings to some journalists and media organizations," stated
the report, adding a comment on the civilian oversight of the military:
"Overall, no progress has been made in ensuring full civilian
supervisory functions over the military and parliamentary oversight
of defense expenditure. Senior members of the armed forces have made
statements on issues going beyond their remit."
The EU is not happy with the main opposition Republican People’s Party
(CHP) either, noting that it appealed 16 bills related to EU reforms
to the Constitutional Court in 2008.
As for Gul, five particular qualities are listed in this year’s report
as part of his constructive role. "He is assuming a conciliatory
role in relations with political actors and civil society; working
in harmony with the government; taking initiative for speeding up
EU reforms; playing an active role in Turkish foreign policy and he
became the first president to visit Armenia for normalization of ties
with this country," the report stated.
‘We expect settlement of Cyprus issue’
Rehn said Turkey is expected to contribute to the solution of the
Cyprus problem and the reunification of the island divided between
a Turkish north and a Greek south.
"We expect an agreement that will be agreeable to both sides. It is
important that they speak as one voice. I think this will be possible
through a federation which brings political equality of both sides,"
he said.
The progress report also stressed the steps Turkey needs to take:
"The Council highlighted in December 2007 that ‘Turkey needs to
unequivocally commit to good neighborly relations and to the peaceful
settlement of disputes in accordance with the UN Charter, including,
if necessary, jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice.’ In
this context, any threat or action which could negatively affect good
neighborly relations and the peaceful settlement of disputes should
be avoided. During the reporting period, Greece formally complained
to Turkey about continued airspace violations."
The report praised Turkey for its constructive role in its neighborhood
and noted that following the crisis in Georgia, it had proposed
a Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform to promote dialogue
between the countries of that region.
The European Commission also noted that Turkey’s geo-strategic
position gives the country a vital role in the EU’s energy security
and particularly in the diversification of energy sources:
"The timely completion of the Southern Gas Corridor through the
swift realization of the planned projects, and notably the Nabucco
gas pipeline, is among the EU’s highest energy security priorities."
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Highlights from the report Anti-corruption measures: Corruption
remains a widespread issue. There has been limited progress towards
strengthening the legal framework and institutional setup to fight
corruption. The continuing absence of an overall strategy, action
plan and coordination mechanism is a cause for continuing concern in
this area. Turkey needs to develop a track record of investigations,
prosecutions and indictments on allegations of corruption.
Human rights and the protection of minorities: Overall, the
institutions for the promotion and enforcement of human rights lack
independence and resources. The introduction of an ombudsman is overdue
and is of key importance to prevent tension in society. Furthermore,
threats to personal safety and occasional criminal proceedings have
an adverse effect on the work of human rights defenders.
Civil and political rights: The number of applications to NGOs
in relation to cases of torture and ill-treatment has increased,
in particular outside official places of detention, notably during
apprehension, transfer or in the open with no detention registered.