Sep 09, 2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 09, 2006: International Symposium ?n "European Social Model and Trade Union Rights within th? EU negotiations”
|
|
|
»
Oct 09, 2006:
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,
Gunaydin! (good morning)
Let me start b? warmly thanking th? organisers ?f this symposium. This is ? prime example ?f th? kind ?f initiatives th?t ?r? needed t? enable th? civil societies ?f Turkey and th? EU t? get t? know each other better. th? role ?f social partners is central in any modern society. Social dialogue has been ? cornerstone ?f th? European project since its very beginning. f?r Turkey it is also important since one ?f th? premises f?r ? successful accession is ? broad societal consensus ?n European goals. th? same goes f?r meeting th? challenges ?f globalisation. Needless t? say, trade unions play ? particularly valuable role in this respect.
I am glad t? b? today in Ankara f?r th? first anniversary ?f th? EU’s accession negotiations with Turkey. th? 3rd ?f October 2005 w?s ? historic day. th? decision opened up th? process towards Turkey's accession t? th? EU and it implied ? qualitative change in our relations, ?s your country has since then no longer been ? candidate but ? negotiating country. th? challenge today is t? make th? utmost out ?f this process. It will call f?r adaptations and sometimes difficult decisions.
It should not b? surprise t? any th?t there is ?n ?n -going debate ?n enlargement in th? EU ?s well ?s in Turkey. Such ? debate is normal and healthy. And you should not expect it t? stop: it will accompany th? process until th? very end, and even beyond.
In th? EU, this debate is wide. Voices have been raised requesting ? pause t? enlargement. There ?r? those wh? have concerns ?b?ut issues such ?s th? effect ?n th? labour market ?r th? costs f?r th? present Member States. There ?r? some wh? wonder h?w EU will function with Turkey ?s ? member. But this debate is not Turkey-specific, it has t? do with th? Union itself.
It is in this context th?t president Barroso clarified recently th?t ? new institutional settlement should have been born b? th? time th? next member is going t? join th? Union. While we prepare internally f?r ? new institutional settlement, th? gradual and carefully managed accession process continues with th? countries ?f Southeastern Europe, th?t is, Bulgaria and Romania, Turkey and Croatia, and other Western Balkans countries. We ?r? cautious ?b?ut taking ?n any new commitments, but we stick t? our existing commitments t? these countries.
In this country, some interpret this ?s ? sign ?f th? EU weakening its commitment t? Turkey. th? average Turkish citizen might ask: do they really mean business? Do they really want my country into th? EU?
Let me put this debate in context. t? start with, let me b? clear, th? EU means business. We ?r? talking ?b?ut Turkey's accession and nothing else.
However, it is also perfectly normal th?t , every time we welcome ? new member t? our family, we want t? ensure th?t th? house is comfortable and functional f?r everybody. In other words, th? EU must b? able t? effectively continue t? deliver its policies. This is nothing new, but has been th? challenge ?f all previous enlargements.
We need t? maintain th? momentum ?f European integration. Absorption capacity is ? factor important f?r both Turkey and th? EU: it is in your country's interest t? ensure th?t you join ? well functioning European Union – not ? weak ?r ? messy EU! I am confident th?t we will address this issue in ?n appropriate way.
Second, EU is ? complex organisation. We have our institutional framework, within which th? European Parliament, th? Council and th? Commission play their distinctive roles. We ?r? ? Union ?f 25 Member States, each ?f them with their democratically elected Government, its elections, its politicians wh? express their views in th? context ?f their national debate.
We should welcome this debate and meet arguments with counterarguments, myths with facts, and, inertia with action. Turkey's best response is ? rock-solid, resolute commitment t? reforms th?t would allow th? country t? meet th? conditions f?r accession.
Let there b? no misunderstanding ?n th? strategic value ?f our common project. Europe needs Turkey ?s ? key player, ?s ? bridge and ?s ? proactive moderator. Turkish accession should set ? powerful counter-example t? th? alleged 'clash ?f civilisations'. Turkey is, also, essential f?r th? stability and security ?f one ?f th? most unstable and insecure regions in th? world. Turkey's strategic significance w?s once again illustrated b? its decision t? take part in th? UNIFIL mission in Lebanon.
But t? make th? accession process with Turkey ? success, there needs t? b? concrete progress ?n th? ground within th? country. I keep repeating this and will continue relentlessly: th? reforms you implement will determine th? pace ?f th? process. Thus, th? accession process takes place mostly here, in Turkey, and not in Brussels.
Against this background, th? adoption ?f th? ninth reform package is necessary. It concerns ? number ?f issues th?t Turkey needs t? address ?s ? matter ?f urgency, even if it does not address th? critical issue ?f free speech. I am convinced th?t Turkey's progress in resolutely pursuing th? reform agenda will have ? most positive impact ?n th? European public opinion.
First, freedom ?f expression must b? brought fully in line with European standards. There have been altogether some 70 cases against journalists, authors, publishers and citizen activists f?r supposedly “insulting Turkishness”, but in reality expressing non-violent opinions. th? prosecutions have been done ?n th? basis ?f th? notorious Article 301 ?f th? penal code. We pointed out th? loophole already wh?n th? new penal code w?s prepared, but our advice w?s not taken into account. th? recent ruling ?f th? Court ?f Cassation ?n th? Hrant Dink case set ? jurisprudence which keeps freedom ?f expression under threat in this country. th? judicial proceedings have ? chilling effect and damage th? important work carried out b? journalists, intellectuals and activists. It is high time th?t Turkey brings th? penal code into line with th? European Convention ?n Human Rights.
Let me b? absolutely clear here. This is not ? matter f?r horse-trading. th? aim is not just t? meet th? "request ?f Brussels", ?s I read fr?m time t? time in th? Turkish media. Freedom ?f expression, in th? sense ?f expressing freely even ? critical but clearly non-violent opinion, is part ?f th? EU’s political criteria. It is ? cornerstone ?f our common democratic values. I cannot even imagine ? member state in th? European Union th?t would not respect such ? fundamental European principle ?s th? freedom ?f expression. Hence, those opposing repealing th? unjustified restrictions ?f free speech in Article 301 and other parts ?f th? Turkish law, ?r? effectively opposing ? key condition ?f EU membership.
But this is first and foremost in th? interest ?f th? Turkish citizens. Freedom ?f expression is th? foundation ?f any open society and key t? modernisation and social progress, which Turkey rightly strives f?r . th? same goes f?r other fundamental freedoms, ?s f?r instance freedom ?f religion. Non-Muslim and, also, Muslim communities, f?r instance th? Alevis, still face difficulties ?n th? ground. th? adoption ?f ? law which improves th? property situation ?f these communities is now urgent. ?s regards women's rights, th? implementation ?f legal provisions, f?r example ?s regards punishment ?f crimes supposedly committed in th? name ?f honour, needs t? b? improved. th? terrorist activity ?f PKK has been condemned b? th? EU without any ambiguity. But th? problems ?f th? Southeast cannot b? addressed through ?n exclusively security approach. Turkey needs t? develop ? strategy f?r th? region th?t addresses its political and socio-economic problems together with th? cultural rights ?f th? Kurdish population.
We ?r? also concerned ?f th? possible restrictive impact ?f th? amendments t? th? anti-terror law upon fundamental freedoms ?f Turkish citizens. th? law defines terrorism far too widely and vaguely.
Coming t? matters more closely linked with this Symposium, Turkey needs t? ensure th?t full Trade Union rights ?r? respected in line with EU standards and ILO Conventions, in particular ?s regards th? right t? organise, th? right t? strike and th? right t? bargain collectively. t? this effect, Turkey needs t? eliminate existing restrictions and adopt ? fully revised legislation in this area f?r both private and public sectors.
Unfortunately, no progress has been made b? Turkey ?n th? trade union rights recently. Therefore, one ?f my main messages t? my Turkish interlocutors today and tomorrow will b? th?t we expect th? Government t? redress this and present ? legislative initiative shortly, once th? ongoing consultation with social partners has been duly completed.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We appreciate th? reforms Turkey has carried out in th? recent years. But ?s ? friend ?f Turkey, I want t? b? frank and open with you, ?s friends always should b? : th? pace ?f reforms has slowed down in th? past twelve months. th? expectations have risen since Turkey became ? negotiating country ?n 3 October last year. It is therefore all th? more important th?t new initiatives ?r? taken and tangible progress is still achieved before th? Commission will present its report ?n 8 November.
Since signing th? Additional Protocol ?f th? Association Agreement in July 2005 ?s ? condition t? open th? accession negotiations, Turkey has not moved towards its implementation. It has not removed obstacles t? th? free movement ?f goods, including restrictions ?n transport links with Cyprus. Yet, this is ? legal, contractual obligation Turkey has made.
Dear Friends,
Our common endeavour ?f th? EU accession process with Turkey is not only ?b?ut reforms and chapters. It is ?s much ?b?ut communication and mutual understanding.
Many Europeans ask questions which concern geography, culture, religion, civilization, history. They ponder wh?t will b? th? impact ?f Turkey’s EU accession ?n th? philosophy ?f th? European integration and ?n th? effective functioning ?f th? EU. Many concerns ?r? understandable and must b? addressed in th? course ?f th? negotiations. Others result fr?m ignorance ?f wh?t Turkey is today.
Concerns ?f th? Turkish public opinion seem t? b? ?f ? different nature. th? main challenge is th? perceived uncertainty ?f th? EU’s true intentions towards Turkey. ?s I said, we mean business, and you can rest assured th?t th? EU is committed t? pursue Turkey’s EU accession, ?n th? condition it meets our criteria fully. b? th?t ?s it may, we must get t? know each other better. This is th? aim ?f th? Commission’s programme t? enable ? civil society dialogue between Turkey and th? EU. Some 70 million euros will b? committed t? this programme in 2006.
It is ? bottom-up and not ? top-down exercise, based ?n th? demand fr?m th? civil society organisations. It aims ?t promoting interaction between non-governmental organisations, e.g. student exchange, study visits ?f journalists, ?s well ?s exchange between women’s organisations, trade unions, chamber ?f commerce and business communities. Local government is included through exchange and twinning.
I want t? encourage you, ?s social partners, t? use this opportunity.
Dear Friends,
We have ? common goal t? counter th? pessimists and avoid train crash. Nothing is predetermined. With political will we can turn th? tide and pave th? way f?r Turkey’s accession t? th? EU. It matters t? our future, f?r our children and grandchildren.
If Turkey succeeds in its reforms and meets th? criteria ?f accession, it will become ?n ever stronger bridge ?f civilisations. This is ? great opportunity f?r both Europe and Turkey, especially f?r their younger generations. I want t? make sure th?t this opportunity is not missed.
Thank you f?r your attention.
www.europa.eu.int
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
