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Euro Report Blasts Turkey
Poos report blasts Turkey
A EUROPEAN Parliament draft report on Cyprus blames Turkey for the
continuing occupation of north Cyprus, the interruption of the
UN-sponsored peace talks, and the continuing violation of human
rights in the occupied north.
The report calls on Turkey "to comply forthwith" with the verdict of
the European Court of Human Rights dealing with Cyprus. It also
reiterates that a settlement must comply with international law, the
EU acquis communautaire, and that it is not a prerequisite for
Cyprus's accession to the EU.
It warns that if Turkey "carries out its threat to annex north Cyprus
this" would put an end to its own ambition of EU membership.
The report was drafted by Jacques F. Poos, the former Luxembourg
Foreign Minister, on behalf of three parliamentary committees,
Foreign Affairs, Human Rights and Commonn Security and Defence
Policy.
It is expected that the report will be adopted by the Parliament
shortly.
Main points
The report makes the following 19 main points:
1- Reiterates its wholehearted support for the efforts of the UN
Secretary-General to find a comprehensive and rapid solution, and for
his longstanding view that any acceptable solution must be based on
international law, and must respect and comply with the acquis
communautaire.
2- Reiterates its support for the conclusions of the Helsinki
European Council whereby resolution of the Cyprus question is not a
prerequisite for accession; endorses unreservedly the position set
out by Commissioner Verheugen, i.e. that there is no possibility of
separate negotiations with the two parts of the island, and no
question either of accession for two Cypriot states or of accession
of the northern part of the island upon Turkish accession.
3- Stresses that if Turkey were to carry out its threat of annexing
the north of Cyprus in response to Cypriot accession to the EU and to
proclaim the northern part as its 82nd province in clear breach of
international law, it would put an end to its own ambitions of
European Union membership.
4- Deplores the unilateral withdrawal by Mr Denktash from the
UN-sponsored proximity talks.
5- Rejects the formula used by Turkey in its National Programme for
the Adoption of the Acquis (NPAA) with regard to Cyprus, which it
considers contrary to international law and to Resolutions 322 and
541 of the United Nations Security Council, the proposals of the UN
Secretary-General and the acquis communautaire.
6- Welcomes, therefore, the 'enhanced political dialogue' launched at
the end of March 2001 between the EU and Turkey, and the fact that
the EU has concluded Accession Partnerships with Cyprus and Turkey,
positive initiatives that could provide a framework for resolution of
the Cyprus question.
7- Calls on the Commission, in this connection, to put on the agenda
for the next meeting with Turkey the issue of missing persons, and
urges Turkey to comply forthwith with the judgments of the European
Court of Human Rights.
8- Calls on the Commission and Council to maintain the European
Union's firm commitment to a negotiated settlement with a view to
ending partition of the island.
9- Reiterates its satisfaction at the progress made by Cyprus in the
accession negotiations, placing Cyprus at the forefront of the
applicant countries.
10- Stresses that Cyprus satisfies the Copenhagen political and
economic criteria.
11- Draws attention to the fact that while Cyprus satisfies the
Copenhagen political and economic criteria, its macro-economic
stability has deteriorated recently and its current budgetary policy
may not be sustainable over the medium-term, a situation that must be
monitored carefully.
12- Notes that while the acquis communautaire as a whole is being
adopted quickly, certain areas nevertheless require special
attention: the environment, the implementation of mechanisms of the
agricultural acquis, the free movement of persons, State aid,
monitoring of the structure of the banking sector, border controls
and maritime safety must all be matters of priority for Cyprus;
stresses that, if the negotiations proceed at their current pace,
these problems should not be insurmountable.
13- Stresses that like the other applicant countries, Cyprus must
enhance its administrative and judicial capacity to enable it to
implement correctly the acquis communautaire.
14- Expresses its concern with regard to the Akamas Peninsula and
calls on the Cypriot Government to ensure that it is protected as an
environmental area of European importance.
15- Welcomes contacts, projects and dialogue at all levels between
the two communities.
16- Proposes that contacts be developed between the European
Parliament and Turkish Cypriot civil society, journalists and
political parties.
17- Welcomes the enthusiasm for Cypriot membership of the EU and
draws particular attention to an opinion poll published recently by a
Turkish Cypriot newspaper indicating that support in the north runs
at more than 90%.
18. Is delighted at the continued dialogue with Cyprus in connection
with the Common European Security and Defence Policy.
19. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the
Council, the Commission, the Parliaments of the Member States, the
Government and Parliament of the Republic of Cyprus and the
Government and the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.
Political criteria
Dealing with the political criteria for accession the report says
that Cyprus "continues to fulfil the Copenhagen criteria.''
It states that the EU Parliament supports the UN peace efforts and
that a settlement must be based on international law as set out in
the Security Council resolutions, and that ``it has to be in
accordance with the aquis communautaire and that a settlement is not
a precondition for accession.''
It also repeats the "warning by (EU) Commissioner Verheugen: no
separate negotiations with the two parts of the island; no to EU
membership for two separate Cypriot states; no EU membership for
northern Cyprus on Turkey's accession.''
The report then states: ``It is now time to add a fourth warning. If
Turkey were to carry out its threat to annex northern Cyprus on
Cyprus' accession to the EU, it would itself put an end to its EU
candidacy. Such an annexation would constitute a flagrant violation
of international law and would be totally unacceptable to the EU and
the international community.''
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