41 Amendments of Costas MAVRIDES related to 2016/2308(INI)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1
Citation 1
— having regard to its previous resolutions, in particular those of 24 November 2016 on EU-Turkey relations1 , and 27 October 2016 on the situation of journalists in Turkey2 , and of 13 November 2014 on Turkey's actions creating tensions in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Cyprus, _________________ 1 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0450. 2 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0423.
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
- having regard to Article 2 of the Treaty of the European Union, on the values where European Union is founded,
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8
Citation 8
— having regard to the declaration issued by the European Community and its Member States on 21 September 2005, including the provision that the recognition of all Member States is a necessary component of the negotiations, and the need for Turkey to fulproceed to the normalisation of its relations with all Member States and to fully and effectively implement the Additional Protocol to the Ankara Agreement to all Member States by removing all obstacles to the free movement of goods, including restrictions on means of transport, without prejudice and discrimination,
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 b (new)
Citation 8 b (new)
- having regard to the fact that the basis for accession to the EU for Turkey is the full compliance with the Copenhagen criteria and the EU's integration capacity, in accordance with the conclusions of the December 2006 European Council meeting,
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10
Citation 10
— having regard to Article 46 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which states that the contracting parties undertake to abide by the final judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in any case to which they are parties, and to the obligation of Turkey to implement all judgements of the European Courts,
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18
Citation 18
— having regard to the crisis in Syria, the efforts towards a ceasefire and a peaceful settlement, and Turkey’s obligations to enhance stability and promote good neighbourly relations through intensive efforts in order to resolve outstanding bilateral issues, disputes and conflicts with the neighbouring countries over land and maritime borders and airspace, in accordance with the UN Charter and the UNCLOS,
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines, however, that measures taken under the state of emergency had large-scale, disproportionate and long- lasting negative effects on a large number of citizens and as well as on the protection of fundamental freedoms in the country; condemns the collective dismissal of civil servants, increasing abduction cases of dissidents both in Turkey and abroad, the mass liquidation of media outlets, the arrests of journalists, academics, judges, human rights defenders, elected officials and ordinary citizens, and the confiscation of all of their properties and assets property and passports on the basis of emergency decree laws without individualised decisions, and without the possibility of timely judicial review; stresses, however, that an increasing authoritarianism, politisation of the judiciary and security forces, erosion of the rule of law and fundamental freedoms long preceded the coup attempt;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines, however, that measures taken under the state of emergency had large-scale, disproportionate and long- lasting negative effects on the protection of fundamental freedoms in the country; condemns the collective dismissal of civil servants, the mass liquidation of media outlets, the arrests of journalists, academics, judges, human rights defenders, elected officials and ordinary citizens, and the confiscation of property and passports on the basis of emergency decree laws without individualised decisions, and without the possibility of timely judicial review; calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners held without proof of individual involvement in committing crime or without any charges presented against them;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses the strategic importance of good EU-Turkey relations for both sides; recognises that both Turkey and the EU have gone through their own internal transformation processes since the accession negotiations were opened in 2004Is deeply concerned that Turkey's internal transformation process and its foreign policy in the Middle East is increasingly making Turkey a strategic liability rather than an asset for the EU; regrets that the accession instruments have not been used to the fullest extent and that, over the years, Turkey’'s full integration into the EU has lost public support on both sides; remains committed to cooperating and maintaining an open dialogue with the Turkish Government, in order to address common challenges; recommends that the Council urgently invite the Turkish Government to a summit to discuss the obvious crisis in EU-Turkey relations that we are faced with;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Expresses, once again, serious concern and urges Turkey to avoid any kind of threat or action directed against a Member State; considers it regrettable that the casus belli threat declared by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey against Greece has not yet been withdrawn;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. NotesIs concerned that measures undertaken following the declaration of the state of emergency have targeted alleged members/supporters of the Gülen movement, dissent in general and political parties of the opposition in particularhrough detainment, arrest, and property confiscation intensified the crackdown on among many others tens of thousands of teachers, business people, civil society representatives, lawyers, students, medical doctors, housewives who are alleged participants/supporters of the Gülen movement, dissent in general and political parties of the opposition in particular; is dismayed by the number of alleged ill- treatment against suspects and arrested persons in detention centers and prisons, which includes torture, rape and killing in some incidents as reported by the human rights organizations; demands a thorough investigation by the Turkish authorities into these allegations, and full accountability and punishment of those guilty of human rights violations; strongly condemns the imprisonment of 13 MPs belonging to the People’'s Democratic Party (HDP), including its co-chairs, and of 90 Kurdish municipal mayors; urges the Turkish Government to lift the state of emergency immediately Figen Yuksekdag and Selahattin Demirtas, and of 90 Kurdish municipal mayors, as well as raids on the headquarters of the HDP; urges the Turkish Government to lift the state of emergency immediately; is deeply concerned about the support for the re- introduction of the death penalty repeatedly declared by the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan; underlines that the reintroduction of the death penalty would violate Turkey’'s international commitments and lead to an immediate end to the EU accession talks;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. NotesIs gravely concerned that measures undertaken following the declaration of the state of emergency have targeted alleged members/supporters of the Gülen movement, dissent in general and political parties of the opposition in particular; strongly condemns the imprisonment of 13 MPs belonging to the People’s Democratic Party (HDP), including its co-chairs, and of 90 Kurdish municipal mayors; expresses its great concern about the severe situation of more than one hundred political prisoners, including 34 women, who are on indefinite and non-alternate hunger strike; 13 of them entered a critical stage being on hunger strike since 15 February 2017, and on the verge of irreversible damage on their health; urges the Turkish Government to lift the state of emergency immediately; underlines that the reintroduction of the death penalty would violate Turkey’s international commitments and lead to an immediate end to the EU accession talks;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Expresses its serious concern at the continuously deteriorating situation in south-east Turkey, especially in the areas where curfews were imposed, where some 2 000 people were reportedly killed in the context of security operations and an estimated half a million people became displaced in the period from July 2015 to December 2016; notes that local prosecutors have consistently refused to open investigations into the reported killings; recalls that the Turkish Government has a responsibility to protect all people living on its territory, irrespective of their ethnic and cultural origin, religion or beliefs; is convinced that only a fair political settlement of the Kurdish question can bring sustainable stability and prosperity both to the area and to Turkey as a whole; notes that a series of laws have created an atmosphere of ‘systematic impunity’ for the security forces; regrets the decision of the Turkish Parliament to waive the immunity of a large number of MPs unconstitutionally, paving the way for the arrests of opposition politicians;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Is deeply concerned about the entrenchment of a state-encouraged mob culture, which includes demonising and criminalising political opponents through media hostility campaigns, hate speech against Kurds, Alevis and other religious and ethnic minorities, conspiracy theories that present the EU and its member states as enemies of the Turkish people;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on Turkey to protect the rights of the most vulnerable groups and of persons belonging to minorities; regrets that the LGBTI marches in Ankara and Istanbul were banned for the second consecutive year; is seriously concerned about gender-based violence, discrimination, hate speech against minorities, lack of respect for the freedom of religion or belief including the property rights of all non-Muslim religious communities, hate crime and violations of the human rights of LGBTI persons; calls on Turkey to harmonise its domestic legislation with the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention, which it ratified in 2014; welcomes the government’s national strategy and action plan for Roma and encourages the authorities to address key obstacles to the social inclusion of Roma;
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Stresses the need to eliminate restrictions on the training, appointment and succession of clergy, complying, to allow the reopening of the Halki Seminary and lift all obstacles for its proper functioning, and allow the public use of the ecclesiastic title of the Ecumenical Patriarch; recalls the importance of implementing the Venice Commission recommendations on Imvros and Tenedos and welcomes the opening of the Greek-minority school on the island of Imvros, which constitutes a positive step towards the preservation of the bicultural character of the island;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. WBelcomieves the deepening ofat EU- Turkey relcooperations in key areas of joint interest, such as counter-terrorism, migration, energy, the economy and trade; believes EU-Turkey cooperation in these areas to can only be an investment in the stability and prosperity of both Turkey and the EU, if it is based on the full respect of fundamental rights and the implementation of the agreements towards all Member States;
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Believes that strengthening tradTakes note of the prelations could bring concrete benefits to citizens in Turkey and the EU, and therefore supports the Commission’s proposal to start negotiations on the upgrading of the Customs Unparatory work for an upgrading of the EU-Turkey Customs Union, without prejudice to Member States' position; reiterates that the EU is Turkey’s main trading partner and that two thirds of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Turkey comes from EU Member States; considers the involvementconsultation of social partners in negotiations as crubeneficial; calls on the Commission to include political benchmarks on human rights and fundamental freedoms in the upgraded Customs Unionas well as a suspension clause on the implementation towards all Member States in the upgraded Customs Union; notes that a prerequisite for the modernisation of the Customs Union is that Turkey should proceed to the full, effective and non-discriminatory implementation of the existing Customs Union vis-à-vis all MS, including the Republic of Cyprus;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Urges Turkey to proceed to a normalization of its relations with Armenia by establishing diplomatic relations without preconditions and calls for the opening of the borders which can lead to the improvement of their relations, with particular reference to cross-border cooperation and economic integration; is of the opinion that the recognition of the Armenian genocide by the Turkish Government would represent an important step to come to terms with its past and thus to pave the way for a genuine reconciliation between the Turkish and Armenian peoples;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Calls on Turkey to further align its foreign policy with that of the EU in accordance with the provisions of the Negotiating Framework;
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Notes that visa liberalisation is important for the Turkish population and will enhance people-to-people contacts; encouragescalls on the Turkish Government to withdraw unilateral declarations and to comply with the finall outstanding criteria, including revision of its anti-terrorism legislation; calls on the Turkish Government to fully and effectively implement both the Visa Liberalisation Road Map and the Readmission Agreement vis-à-vis all Member States, including cooperation on JHA issues and non-discriminatory access to the Turkish territory for the citizens of all EU Member States;
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Calls on Turkey to respect the independent judicial proceedings and decisions of Member States regarding Turkish military personnel, who are either applying for asylum or whose extradition Turkey has requested; in that respect strongly condemns the Turkish Government's reaction on the decision of the Greek Supreme Court not to extradite Turkish military personnel from Greece to Turkey;
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on the Commission to take into account the latest developments in Turkey when conducting the mid-term review of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) funds in 2017, and to suspend all pre-accession funds ifsince Turkey no longer sufficiently complies withdoes not fulfil the EU’s Copenhagen criteria; calls on the Commission to use those funds to support Turkish civil society and to invest more in people-to-people exchange programmes, such as Erasmus+ for students;
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on the Commission to take into account the latest developments in Turkey when conducting the mid-term review of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) funds in 2017, and to suspend all pre-accession funds if Turkey no longer sufficiently complies with the EU’s Copenhagen criteria; calls on the Commission to use those funds to support directly Turkish civil society and to invest more in people-to-people exchange programmes, such as Erasmus+ for students;
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Condemns in the strongest terms all terrorist attacks carried out in Turkey, and stands firmly by Turkey’s population in our joint fight against terrorism; welcomes the close bilateral relations between EU Member States and Turkey in the field of anti-terrorism cooperation, including on ‘foreign fighters’; reiterates its condemnation of the return to violence by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been on the EU’sstresses that the inclusion of PKK on the EU's list of terrorist organisations is standing in the way of the establishment of peace, dialogue and negotiations, at the same time that facilitates the infringement of human rights; calls therefore on the Council to revise the list and remove the PKK from the list of terrorist organisations since 2002; inv; calls on the Turkish authorities the Member States to enforce legislation banning the use of signs and symbols of organisations which are on that listo restart talks with PKK leaders for a peaceful solution for the Kurdish question; and to end the confinement of Abdullah Ocalan in prison;
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Calls on European Council for EU embargo on arms sales to Turkey, following the decision of Germany and Austria;
Amendment 314 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Commends the engagement by the Turkish Government and the hospitality shown by the population in hosting around 3 million refugees; notes the EU-Turkey statement on migration, and urges the Member States to initiate the voluntary resettlement scheme for the most vulnerable refugees in Turkey; calls on the Commission to ensure long-term investment in both refugees and their host communities in Turkey; encourages the Turkish Government to grant work permits to all Syrian refugees; calls on Ankara to keep up its patrolling efforts in the Aegean and to implement fully, to enhance efforts to combat migrant smuggling and to implement fully and effectively the EU-Turkey Readmission Agreement and the bilateral readmission agreements signedin force with Bulgaria and Greece;
Amendment 320 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Stresses that including Turkey on the list of so-called safe countries would have a detrimental impact on the right to claim for asylum of Turkish citizens suffering repression in Turkey; recalls EASO's Country of Origin Information report on Turkey published in November 2016 at the request of this Parliament and the European Council, which describes concerning findings regarding Turkish's state structure, socio-political landscape, rule of law and state protection, security and human rights situation;
Amendment 335 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Calls upon the Turkish government to halt its plans for the construction of the Akkuyuy nuclear power plant; points out that the envisaged site is located in a region prone to severe earthquakes, hence posing a major threat not only to Turkey but to the Mediterranean region as a whole; requests accordingly that the Turkish government join the Espoo Convention, which commits parties to notifying and consulting each other on major projects under consideration that are likely to have a significant adverse environmental impact across boundaries; asks the Turkish government to involve, or at least consult, the governments of its neighbouring countries, such as Greece and Cyprus, during any further developments in the Akkuyuy venture;
Amendment 344 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18 b. Calls on Turkey to cooperate with relevant international organizations, especially the Council of Europe, in preventing and combatting illicit trafficking and the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage within Turkey and the occupied part of Cyprus;
Amendment 345 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18 c. Recalls its position adopted in the report on the implementation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy in 2016 about the importance of ensuring the coherence of EU policy as regards situations involving the occupation or annexation of territory; recalls, in this regard, that the immediate withdrawal of Turkish occupation forces and the full restoration of the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus, in line with the UNSC resolutions, should be the first step for achieving a long-term political solution, guaranteeing the well-being, security and democratic rights of all Cypriots;
Amendment 347 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Underlines that a settlement of the Cyprus problem would have a positive impact on the entire region, while first and foremost benefiting both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, would have a positive impact on the entire region; praises the leaders of the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots communities in Cyprus for having achieved major progress in the settlement talks; welcomes the exchange of preferred maps, thus far unprecedented, and the first international conference held with the guarantor powers; supports thfirst international conference held at Geneva with the guarantor powers and the participation of the EU; regrets the lack of tangible progress during the discussion of security-related aspects, due to the unproductive stance demonstrated by Turkey; supports a just, viable and comprehensive settlement based on a bi- communal, bi-zonal federation with political equality, a single international legal personality, single sovereignty and single citizenship with political equality between the two communities, in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutionss set out in the relevant Security Council resolutions and High Level agreements, with a single international legal personality, single sovereignty and single citizenship , in line with international law and on the basis of respect for the principles on which the Union is founded and the acquis communautaire; welcomes the intensified engagement by the parties to achieve the settlement of the Cyprus problem; expectscalls on Turkey to show activecomply with the EU declaration issued on September 21,2005 and to actively and concretely support for the negotiations, and reiterates that Turkey’s commitment and contribution to a comprehensive settlement remain crucial; praises the important work of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP), and calls on Turkey to allow access to all relevant sites and to assist the CMP by providing information from its military archivecalls on Turkey to immediately withdraw its troops from Cyprus and to transfer Varosha to the UN and to its lawful inhabitants in accordance with UNSC resolution 550 (1984) as an effort to pave the way for a democratic comprehensive settlement; notes that the EU has much to gain from a viable and functional settlement of the Cyprus problem, thus creating the conditions for good neighbourly relations and improvement in EU-Turkey relations;
Amendment 365 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Stresses that Turkey needs to commit itself unequivocally to good neighbourly relations, according to international agreements, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which is part of the EU acquis, the United Nations Charter and having recourse, if necessary, to the International Court of Justice; urges the Turkish Government to end the repeated violations of Greek airspace and territorial waters, as well as Turkish military aircraft flights over Greek islands;
Amendment 367 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Praises the important work of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP), and calls on Turkey to allow unconditional access to military zones and all relevant sites and to provide relevant information from its military and other archives, thus maximising the effectiveness of the excavations conducted by the CMP; welcomes, in this respect, the appointment of EP standing rapporteur on missing persons;
Amendment 371 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Calls on Turkey to respect fully the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all of its neighbours; in particular, urges Turkey to abandon any irredentist claims on parts of the Syrian and Iraqi territory;
Amendment 376 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19 b. Calls on Turkey to fulfil its obligation of full, non-discriminatory implementation of the Additional Protocol to the EC-Turkey Association Agreement vis-à-vis all Member States, including the Republic of Cyprus, the fulfilment of which could provide a significant boost to the negotiation process; regrets that Turkey has still not made progress towards the normalization of its relations with the Republic of Cyprus; reiterates that recognition of all Member States is a necessary component of the accession process and calls for progress without any further delay;
Amendment 379 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19 b. Condemns Turkey's attacks on the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and in particular its Kurdish component the People's Protection Units (YPG), which has proved to be a valuable asset for the international anti-Daesh coalition; considers that such actions undermine the international efforts to fight Daesh and calls on Turkey to immediately cease attacks against SDF and YPG and commit itself fully to the fight against Daesh and other terrorist entities recognised as such by the UNSC;
Amendment 385 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c (new)
Paragraph 19 c (new)
19 c. Deplores Turkey's policy of illegal settlement and calls on Turkey to refrain from further settlement of Turkish citizens in the occupied areas of Cyprus, which is contrary to the Geneva Convention and the principles of international law; urges Turkey to terminate all actions that alter the demographic balance on the island thus impeding a future solution;
Amendment 389 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 d (new)
Paragraph 19 d (new)
19 d. Reiterates that Turkey needs to commit itself unequivocally to good neighbourly relations, international agreements and to peaceful settlement of bilateral disputes in accordance with the United Nations Charter, having recourse, if necessary, to the International Court of Justice; expresses serious concern over Turkey's renewed threats and provocations as well its decision to issue a NAVTEX purporting to reserve an area within the territorial sea, continental shelf and exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Cyprus; urges Turkey to refrain from any further threat or action which might lead to friction and crisis and might have negative effects on the negotiations for ending the unacceptable status quo; calls on Turkey to sign and ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which has been signed and ratified by the EU and its 28 Member States, without further delay; reiterates its call on Turkey to respect the sovereignty and sovereign rights of Member States over their territorial sea and airspace and their lawful right to enter into bilateral agreements and to explore and exploit natural resources in accordance with the EU acquis and international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea;
Amendment 393 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 e (new)
Paragraph 19 e (new)
19 e. Reiterates relevant ECtHR decisions and calls on the Turkish Government to immediately stop the violation of the human rights of the Cypriot citizens and stop depriving them of the enjoyment and exercise of their property, religious and other human rights stemming from the constitutional order of the Republic of Cyprus and the acquis communautaire, as well as the fundamental principles and values of the EU;
Amendment 395 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 f (new)
Paragraph 19 f (new)
19 f. Is concerned about reports indicating the collaboration of Turkey with ISIL, including the purchase of oil products and urges Turkey to refrain from such practices;