The EPP Group strongly condemns the recent arrests of journalists in
raids by the Turkish police on a newspaper and TV station. There are
worsening signals that the rule of law and the freedom of expression in
Turkey are not being respected.
The EPP Group Spokesman on Foreign Affairs, Cristian Preda MEP, has
called on Turkish politicians to clarify the direction that they want to
take as regards European Union accession: "I feel that at this point in
time, the intention of the Turkish authorities is no longer clear - do
they still want to join the EU or not? Do they still want to build a
democratic, free society? Those in the Turkish
society that support EU accession, and particularly businessmen, are extremely worried about the independence of the judiciary and the freedom of the press. More than anything, this should raise the alarm about the recent events to all those who support the European future of this country."
Cristian Preda has called for clear benchmarks for further cooperation: "I call once again on the European Commission to establish clear benchmarks for the opening of negotiation chapters 23 and 24 on Justice and Fundamental Rights, because in doing so, the European Union could contribute constructively to the debate on these issues in Turkey. We need the cooperation of the Turkish authorities for this to be successful."
The EPP Group Shadow Rapporteur on Turkey’s Progress Report, Renate Sommer MEP, stressed that democratic values are crucial for a country that wants to become a member of the European Union: "The renewed wave of arrests demonstrates a new level in Erdogan’s policy of intimidation and shows once more the Turkish Government’s disturbing opposition to critical reporting by the media and freedom of expression. But those who want to be a member of the EU should not trample on democratic values. The careless handling of corruption allegations over the past year and the recent progress report already shows that the country is moving more and more away from Europe and democracy. Any country that wishes to join the European Union must embrace and apply the same standards of democratic societies. The Turkish authorities' actions show that they are far from these standards. I call on the Turkish Constitutional Court to stop these ongoing attempts to suppress fundamental rights", concluded Sommer.
The European Parliament will vote on a Resolution on the situation in Turkey at the next plenary session in January 2015.
society that support EU accession, and particularly businessmen, are extremely worried about the independence of the judiciary and the freedom of the press. More than anything, this should raise the alarm about the recent events to all those who support the European future of this country."
Cristian Preda has called for clear benchmarks for further cooperation: "I call once again on the European Commission to establish clear benchmarks for the opening of negotiation chapters 23 and 24 on Justice and Fundamental Rights, because in doing so, the European Union could contribute constructively to the debate on these issues in Turkey. We need the cooperation of the Turkish authorities for this to be successful."
The EPP Group Shadow Rapporteur on Turkey’s Progress Report, Renate Sommer MEP, stressed that democratic values are crucial for a country that wants to become a member of the European Union: "The renewed wave of arrests demonstrates a new level in Erdogan’s policy of intimidation and shows once more the Turkish Government’s disturbing opposition to critical reporting by the media and freedom of expression. But those who want to be a member of the EU should not trample on democratic values. The careless handling of corruption allegations over the past year and the recent progress report already shows that the country is moving more and more away from Europe and democracy. Any country that wishes to join the European Union must embrace and apply the same standards of democratic societies. The Turkish authorities' actions show that they are far from these standards. I call on the Turkish Constitutional Court to stop these ongoing attempts to suppress fundamental rights", concluded Sommer.
The European Parliament will vote on a Resolution on the situation in Turkey at the next plenary session in January 2015.
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