EU parliament says Turkey must recognise "genocide"

[Hovik]

EU Ministers to Hold Meeting on Turkey

EU Ministers to Hold Meeting on Turkey By CONSTANT BRAND, Associated Press Writer
Thu Sep 29, 6:11 AM ET



European Union foreign ministers will hold emergency talks this weekend aimed at overcoming Austrian objections to starting entry talks with Turkey, after their envoys failed to reach agreement Thursday, diplomats said.

Austria held to its position that Turkey be offered the option of a lesser partnership rather than full membership in negotiations which are scheduled to start on Monday.

All 25 EU nations have to agree on a negotiating mandate before talks can begin with Ankara.

The deadlock will put further strain on ties with Ankara which is growing increasingly restless over attempts by several EU nations to put the brakes on opening negotiations.

A British EU presidency spokesman confirmed the EU foreign ministers will hold talks on Sunday in Luxembourg, on the eve of the planned opening of negotiations with Turkey.

"Twenty-four EU countries could accept the text," said the British official, who refused to be named, due to the sensitivity of the talks. He added that bilateral talks would continue between London and Vienna to try and get Austria to back down from its demands.

Britain and other EU nations fear that adding changes demanded by Austria will unravel an already cautiously-agreed to deal between EU leaders last December, when they decided to open talks with Turkey, with the only goal of full membership.

"It's not a question of drafting, but its a political issue," said an EU diplomat.

Austria is the most ardent opponent of Turkey's membership arguing the country is too big and unready to join the EU. It has also linked the issue to Croatia's EU entry bid.

Diplomats said Britain and other member states were unlikely to yield to demands to drop guarantees in the EU's negotiating mandate — which lays out the rules and a lose timeframe — that the goal of those talks is full membership.

The draft mandate states the "shared objective of the negotiations is accession," but adds they are "open-ended." It does not mention a partnership as an alternative option.

The membership talks will be a milestone for Europe and predominantly Muslim Turkey, which has been knocking on the EU's door since 1963. EU leaders agreed to open accession talks with Turkey last year.

If EU foreign ministers fail to get a deal Sunday, the opening of talks would be delayed as the EU needs to present a negotiating guidebook for talks to begin.

It would inevitably lead to a rupture in already tense relations between Ankara and Brussels.

In Vienna, Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel maintained his country's tough line on Turkey.

In an interview with two European newspapers, Schuessel said talks with Turkey should only start if separate membership talks with Croatia are also restarted.

Negotiations with Zagreb were frozen until it meets EU demands it fully cooperate in handing over a top war crimes suspect to the U.N. war crimes tribunal.

Austria says its people — and many others across the bloc — do not support full membership for Turkey and is demanding that Ankara be given the option of privileged partnership rather than full membership. Turkey has already rejected anything less than full membership talks.

[Hovik]

European Parliament Reaffirms Recognition Of Armenian Genocide As Precondition
To Tu

EUROPEAN ARMENIAN FEDERATION
for Justice & Democracy
Avenue dela Renaissance 10
B-1000 Bruxelles
Tel: +322 732 70 26
Tel/Fax:+322 732 70 27
Email: [email protected]



PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
September 29nd, 2005
Contact :Talline Tachdjian
Tel :+322 732 70 26

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT REAFFIRMS RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AS PRECONDITION
TO TURKISH ACCESSION TO EUROPE

Wednesday September 28, 2005—The European Armenian Federation reports that the
European Parliament voted on a resolution regarding the opening of accession
negotiations with Turkey, stating that the Turkish authorities still did not
satisfy the requirements concerning the Armenian questions such as they are
expressed by the European Parliament in its resolution of June 18, 1987. With a
vote of 356 for, 181 against and 125 abstentions, the European Assembly
resolution "calls on Turkey to recognize the Genocide of the Armenians," and
considers this act a "prerequisite to accession to the European Union."

The day before the vote, the parties present at the European Parliament had
agreed on a compromise text that made no mention of the Armenian issues; the
final resolution adopted by a majority of Parliament reflects two amendments
proposed by a group of deputies (Pierre Moscovici, Harlem Desir, Marie Arlette
Carlotti and Martine Roure, among others - PSE)].

"This final call of the European Parliament before the negotiations with Turkey
should serve as direction to the Council of the Union and the European
Commission," stated Hilda Tchoboian, President of the European Armenian
Federation. "Europeans can have confidence in the effectiveness of the
negotiations only if their leaders represent their aspirations. We therefore
urge the Foreign Ministers of the European Union to tackle the question of the
Genocide in their October 3rd meeting in Luxembourg

[Tongue]

So does this mean they won't start the EU entry talks? These people are so inhumane!! "Refuses to recognize it"... just think about it. They're cold blooded creatures. Their whole attitude and stubborness about not wanting to recognize the genocide makes them look identical to Talaat Pasha and rest of his gang responsible for the genocide. Honest to God, I don't see the difference... as much as I would like to.

Turkish premier refused to join EU resolution considering Armenian killings as genocide



20:29 2005-09-28
Turkey's prime minister on Wednesday rejected a European Parliament resolution calling on Ankara to recognize the mass killings of Armenians around the time of World War I as genocide.

The EU lawmakers said in their resolution that recognition of the 1915-1923 killings as genocide should be a prerequisite for Turkey to join the European Union.

Armenians say that 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I, which Armenians and several nations around the world recognize as the first genocide of the 20th century.

Turkey denies that the massacres were genocide, saying the death toll is inflated and Armenians were killed in civil unrest as the Ottoman Empire collapsed, the AP reports.

Speaking to Turkish reporters in Abu Dhabi, Erdogan also reiterated his view that the EU has to admit Turkey or risk being branded a "Christian Club."

"What will the EU achieve by admitting Turkey? It will become a bridge between the 1.5-billion strong Muslim world and the EU. It will start an alliance of civilizations," he added.

http://newsfromrussia.com/world/2005/09/28/63979.html

[Gavur]

Talks on Turkish EU Membership Face New Hurdles

Eva Cahen
Correspondent

Paris (CNSNews.com) - Just days before the European Union is due to open accession talks with Turkey, the process is facing new hurdles and concerns.

Some E.U. governments, unconvinced of the wisdom of allowing membership to a large Muslim nation straddling Europe and Asia, are pressing for some form of "partnership" instead.

The European Parliament raised further problems by voting not to ratify a customs union with Turkey, and also insisting that Turkey acknowledge as genocide the killing of some 1.5 million Armenian Christians at the end of the Ottoman Empire.

The talks are due to begin in Luxembourg on Monday, but as of Thursday, it was still unclear whether the Turkish foreign minister would even attend, unless Ankara was satisfied with the negotiating criteria set down by the E.U. over the next several days.



Although the eventual negotiations could take more than a decade, Britain has made launching the talks a priority of its current E.U. presidency.

Polls show that public opinion in Europe is generally opposed to Turkish membership, a development that would substantially increase the Muslim population in traditionally Christian Europe, bringing it to 20 percent. Turkey would also become the largest and poorest country in the bloc, which currently has 25 members.

Another fear is that cheap labor from Turkey would take away jobs from Europeans who already face high unemployment rates.

Those favoring Turkey's entry into the EU, including the British and Italian governments, believe that the Muslim nation of 72 million people could act as a bridge between Islam and Christianity. Its adhesion to Europe would create a positive image of a Muslim democracy and help to block the tide of Islamic fundamentalism.

The United States also is a firm supporter of E.U. membership for Turkey, which is already a member of NATO and strategically situated between Europe and the Middle East.

The Washington-based Center for Security Policy, which generally supports Bush administration policies, has warned against opening E.U. membership for Turkey.

In a brief, the center said billions of dollars from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries were being laundered in Turkey to finance terrorism.

Secular education was increasingly being transformed into religious education, and this could in future years result in the transformation of the population from a modern secular one to one that is more radically Islamist, it said.

"Prime Minister [Recep] Erdogan is systematically turning his country from a Muslim secular democracy into an Islamofascist state governed by an ideology anathema to European values and freedoms," the center argued.

Turkey's bid for membership dates back to 1960, but before its application could be considered, it had to satisfy E.U. requirements on democracy, human rights and justice.

Turkey has carried out reforms including changing the penal code, abolishing capital punishment, reducing corruption and torture, and improving the economy. Supporters argue that it has come a long way and should not be turned away now.

"It would now be a huge betrayal of the hopes and expectations of the Turkish people and of Prime Minister Erdogan's reform program if, at this crucial time, we turned our back on Turkey," British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told the ruling Labor Party's annual conference on Wednesday.

"The Turkey of two years ago is not the same Turkey as you see today," said Amanda Akcakoca, a policy analyst at the European Policy Center in Brussels.

However, many obstacles remain and will play a major role in the accession talks. These include a need for Turkey to reduce corruption and the role of the black market, normalizing relations with the Greek Cypriot government (Turkey occupies northern Cyprus), opening the border with Armenia, and granting the Kurdish minority more rights.

"The reform process won't be easy," said Akcakoca. "Both economic and political changes are going to have to take place, but also a change in mentality, where Turkey will have to stop seeing things in terms of bargaining and will have to understand that they have to do what they have to do and they can't turn everything into a carpet sale."

During the period of the accession talks the Turkish government itself will need to maintain domestic public opinion in favor of EU membership, despite the sometimes difficult reform requirements.

Some European governments are aware of the sensitivity of the issue, and how it could impact their own political standing.

In France, for instance, President Jacques Chirac says he is in favor of Turkish membership but the man thought in a strong position to succeed him as president in 2007 elections, Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, is opposed. France has promised a referendum on the issue.

Austria opposes Turkish membership and has demanded that negotiations should be for a "privileged partnership" instead.

According to a senior French diplomat, many European leaders are hoping that the accession talks will in the end lead to that type of partnership, rather than full membership.

"The negotiations cannot be started on that premise but they could conclude with an agreement for Turkey to become a privileged partner," he said.

Turkey has so far rejected any formula short of full membership.

Akcakoca said she believed the accession talks would in the end result in membership.

"History has shown that any country that has started [E.U.] accession talks has finished them [successfully]. Personally, I think that Turkey will finish and become a member of the EU in 15 to 20 years," she said.

(CNSNews International Editor Patrick Goodenough contributed to this report.)

[Hovik]

The Washington-based Center for Security Policy, which generally supports Bush administration policies, has warned against opening E.U. membership for Turkey.

In a brief, the center said billions of dollars from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries were being laundered in Turkey to finance terrorism.

Secular education was increasingly being transformed into religious education, and this could in future years result in the transformation of the population from a modern secular one to one that is more radically Islamist, it said.

"Prime Minister [Recep] Erdogan is systematically turning his country from a Muslim secular democracy into an Islamofascist state governed by an ideology anathema to European values and freedoms," the center argued.

Never read this report, but thought it is an interesting assertion to highlight....

[Hovik]

Meps Defy Turkey On Eve Of Entry Talks

MEPS DEFY TURKEY ON EVE OF ENTRY TALKS

EUobserver.com, Belgium
Sept 28 2005

28.09.2005 - 17:44 CET | By Mark Beunderman EUOBSERVER/ BRUSSELS -
In a strong message of frustration with the Turkish stance on Cyprus,
the European Parliament on Wednesday postponed the ratification
of a key customs agreement with Ankara - dismaying the commission,
but not endangering the start of entry talks on 3 October.

Under EU law, the European Parliament has to formally ratify an
agreement on the extension of the customs agreement between the EU
and Turkey to all new member states - including Cyprus, which Ankara
does not recognise.

But the conservative EPP group in the parliament today (28 September)
successfully achieved suspension of ratification of the deal, with
311 against 285 MEPs voting to postpone the ratification.

EPP group leader Hans-Gert Pottering said ahead of the vote that there
had not been any "appropriate statement" by the Turkish government
on Ankara's commitment to the customs agreement.

MEPs had demanded a public guarantee from Turkey that the Turkish
parliament, in its ratification process, would not at the same time
endorse Ankara's unilateral declaration issued last June saying that
Turkey does not recognise Cyprus.

Formal ratification of the agreement by the European and Turkish
parliaments is no precondition for the opening of EU membership talks
with Turkey, scheduled for 3 October.

But the commission said today it regretted the Parliament's decision.

Enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn stated "Unfortunately today's
decision does not strengthen our position in urging Turkey to stick
to its commitment, that is following the signature, to ratify and
implement the protocol without delay".

The commission and member states are pressing Ankara to first ratify
and then fully implement the customs agreement, meaning that Ankara is
obliged to stop blocking Cypriot ships and planes from its territory.

But now the commission claims MEPs have complicated these efforts by
blocking ratification by the EU itself.

Socialist and liberal MEPs also regretted the postponement of the
ratification, with liberal MEP Andrew Duff describing the decision as
"stupid, short-sighted and mean-spirited".

Resolution seeks tough human rights guarantees The Parliament in a
separate resolution backed the opening of membership negotiations
with Turkey on 3 October.

But the resolution, which is non-binding, further pressurises Ankara
by highlighting Turkish failures in meeting human rights standards.

The text explicitly mentions the case of Orhan Pamuk, a well-read
author who was recently charged by a Turkish prosecutor to have
"denigrated" the nation by publicly raising the issue of the Armenian
genocide in 1915.

MEPs urged the commission to suspend the accession talks once started,
in case of a persistent breach of human rights or the principles of
democracy and the rule of law.

The parliament called for further guarantees by demanding that each
session of the negotiations at ministerial level be preceded by "an
assessment of the political criteria in both theory and practice, thus
exerting permanent pressure on the Turkish authorities to maintain
the pace of the necessary reforms".

Following an amendment by French MEPs, the parliament resolution also
calls on Turkey to recognise the genocide of Armenians by Ottoman
forces in 1915, considering this a "prerequisite for accession to
the European Union".

The Euro-Armenian federation last week staged a high-profile conference
in the parliament, drawing attention to the issue.

http://euobserver.com/15/19966

[Hovik]

Eu-turkey: Another Slight For Ankara

EU-TURKEY: ANOTHER SLIGHT FOR ANKARA

AKI, Italy
Sept 28 2005

Strasbourg, 28 Sept. (AKI) - The European Union's parliament has
approved a resolution in which it supports the start of membership
talks with Turkey but lays down a series of provisos. The parliament
says recognition as genocide of the killing of more than a million
Armenians in 1915 was "a prerequisite for accession". Euro-MPs also
postponed a vote on extending Turkey's customs agreement to the
ten newest member states, because of Ankara's refusal to recognise
Cyprus. The parliament's decisions do not affect the start of
entry talks on 3 October but are seen as a further sign of European
reluctance towards Turkey's bid.

The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, described the
postponement of an important vote on the trade agreement as 'an
own goal'.

The decision was motivated by Turkey's recent declaration that
signing the protocol of the Ankara Agreement did not mean any form of
recognition of Cyprus, which became an EU member last May. Euro MPs
wanted assurances that this declaration would not be part of Turkey's
parliamentary ratification of the protocol. Turkey also refuses to
admit naval vessels and airplanes from Cyprus.

Armenia and Armenians abroad accuse Turkey's Ottoman rulers of carrying
out genocide when 1.5 million of their people died in 1915.

Turkey denies there was any systematic killing, saying the death toll
was much lower and that the deaths occurred during a civil war. Last
week a Turkish court cancelled a historians conference which was due
to have discussed the highly taboo subject.

More negotiations are scheduled for Thursday to resolve outstanding
issues in the framework for Turkey's entry negotiations which
officially kick of on 3 October.

Austria has been seeking to push a "privileged partnership", also
seen positively by the German centre-right leader Angela Merkel,
while Ankara insists nothing short of full membership will do.

http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level.php?cat=Politics&loid=8.0.213277002&par=0

[Hovik]

European Socialists Accuse Right-wing Opponents Of Not Wanting Muslim Turkey In Eu

EUROPEAN SOCIALISTS ACCUSE RIGHT-WING OPPONENTS OF NOT WANTING MUSLIM TURKEY IN EU

IRNA< Iran
Sept 28 2005

Brussels, IRNA

The Socialist Group (PES) in the European Parliament accused Wednesday
the right-wing European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and
European Democrats (EPP-ED) of being against Turkey's EU membership
because it was a Muslim country.

"You don't want to have Turkey because it is Islamic and far away.

Croatia is closer and is Catholic. That is the truth of your message.

Let us not beat about the bush. We must apply the same standards to
all countries," PES leader Martin Schulz told EPP leader Hans-Gert
Poettering during a heated debate on Turkey's EU membership in the
EP in Strasbourg.

The leader of the 219-strong Socialist Group, the second-largest in
the EP, said "the EPP does not want Turkey. We want to give Turkey
a chance."

On his part, the leader of EPP - which with 267 MEPs in the 732-member
EP is the largest group - said if EU membership was not achieved
at the end of the process, then the alternative result must be a
privileged partnership for Turkey.

He said Christians' "legitimate rights" in Turkey had to be recognised
and implemented in the same way that "Moslem citizens' rights were
recognised in European Union countries."

Poettering urgently called on the British Presidency of the EU to
apply the same criteria to Croatia as that of Turkey.

"Everyone has shut their eyes on the human rights issue in Turkey
while Croatia was to be refused the start of negotiations because a
single general - one who was plainly not even in Croatia - had not
yet been delivered up to the Hague Tribunal," he said.

The EU has postponed talks on Croatia's membership because of Zagreb's
failure to arrest a war crimes suspect Gen Ante Gotovina.

But EU states like Austria and Hungary want Croatia to start talks
at the same time as Turkey on October 3.

The co-president of the Green/EFA (European Free Alliance), Daniel
Cohn-Bendit, also criticized the EPP saying "some of the opponents
of Turkey's accession are surfing on a wave of cultural and racist
prejudices."

"This is a dangerous game," he said adding that "the question of
European Islam exists with or without Turkey. There are already more
Muslims in the EU than there are Belgians."

The EP Wednesday voted in favour of starting talks on Turkish accession
on October 3, but insisted on a number of conditions before it is
allowed entry.

MEPs insisted that Turkey recognise the killings of thousands of
Armenians in 1915 as genocide.

The EP also postponed a vote on ratifying Turkey's customs arrangements
with the EU because of its refusal to recognise the Greek Cypriot
government.

At the request of the EPP-ED group, EP voted 311 votes in favour,
285 against and 63 abstentions to postpone the vote

[Hovik]

Europarliament Says Turkey Must Recognise Cyprus, Armenian Genocide

EUROPARLIAMENT SAYS TURKEY MUST RECOGNISE CYPRUS, ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Cyprus News Agency, Cyprus
Sept 28 2005

CNA - Strasbourg-France - 28/9/2005 19:20

Strasbourg, Sept 28 (CNA) - The European Parliament backed Wednesday
the opening of EU entry talks with Turkey next week, but insisted
that Ankara recognise Cyprus and the genocide of Armenians during
the negotiations.

The European Parliament has also postponed a vote to ratify Turkey's
extended customs union with the EU with 311 votes in favour, 285
against and 63 abstentions. The delay was demanded by the European
People's Party (EPP), the biggest party in the EU parliament, due to
Ankara's refusal to let Cypriot ships and planes use its ports and
airports, as required under the extended customs deal.

[Hovik]

Eu Mps Add Provisos To Turkey Bid

EU MPS ADD PROVISOS TO TURKEY BID

BBC News, UK
Sept 28 2005

Turkey rejects bids to allow les than full entry to the EU bloc The
European Union parliament has backed plans to start talks on Turkish
accession, but insisted on a number of provisos before it is allowed
entry.

MPs insisted Ankara recognise the killings of thousands of Armenians
in 1915 as genocide. Turkey denies that the killings were systematic.

MPs also postponed a vote on ratifying Turkey's customs arrangements
because of its refusal to recognise Cyprus.

Neither decision affects entry talks which are due to start on
3 October.

The negotiations, once started, are expected to take about 10 years.

The European Commission said the postponement of the vote was an
"own goal" by the parliament.

The Armenian killings have long been a taboo subject in Turkey.

Armenians, supported by 15 countries, including France, Switzerland,
Russia and Argentina, accuses the then Ottoman rulers of carrying out a
"genocide".

Turkey disputes the charge, saying that a few hundred thousand died
and that the deaths occurred in a civil war in which many Turks were
also killed.

But Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan did condemn a Turkish
court's decision to order the cancellation of a conference about the
killings which was due to have been held last week.

Vetoes await

Further talks about Turkey's accession are set for Thursday to try
to resolve a deadlock over the question of the negotiating framework
for Turkish membership.

Turkey has been clear that it will not accept the option of privileged
partnership, which Austria is pushing to be inserted into the
negotiating framework; only full membership will do.

The BBC's Jonny Dymond says that even if they get the framework they
want, the membership process will be a long and painful one.

This is partly because so much needs to be done by Turkey to adapt
itself to EU rules. It needs to absorb the 80,000 page long EU rule
book into its domestic law.

One member state has already boasted about the number of potential
vetoes it has during the negotiations process. There is also the
question of Turkey's continuing human rights reform process.

Expectations

The European Commission has promised to monitor closely how Turkey
proceeds. If it is deemed to be slipping backwards in theory or
practice, then the commission will not hesitate to make its misgivings
public.

To add to all the difficulties, there is the question of public
expectations in Turkey.

Our correspondent says many Turks see the membership process as a
genuine negotiation, a process of give and take. But by and large,
Turkey has simply to do what it is told if it wants to join the club -
which for many is a sharp change in culture, he adds.