Activities of Demetris PAPADAKIS related to 2019/2176(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
2019-2020 Reports on Turkey (debate)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the Turkey - Annual progress report 2019 and 2020
Amendments (74)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the Committee on Petitions conducted a fact-finding visit to Famagusta, Cyprus, on 7-8 May 2018, in the context of petition 733/2004 submitted by Loizos Afxentiou, on behalf of the Famagusta Refugee Movement; whereas the purpose of the mission was to reassess and update its information on the situation in Famagusta, and in particular Varosha (the section of the city sealed off by the Turkish army), following on from Petition 733/2004, 10 years after the Committee’s previous fact-finding visit, which took place on 25-28 November 2007;
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1
Citation 1
- having regard to its previous resolutions on Turkey, in particular those of 13 March 2019 on the 2018 Commission Report on Turkey1 , of 19 September 2019 on the situation in Turkey, notably the removal of elected mayors2 , of 24 October 2019 on the Turkish military operation in northeast Syria and its consequences3 , and of 17 September 2020 on the preparation of the special European Council summit focusing on the dangerous escalation and the role of Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean4 and of 26 November 2020 on escalating tensions in Varosha following the illegal actions by Turkey and the urgent need for the resumption of talks 4a, _________________ 1 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2019)0200. 2 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2019)0017. 3 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2019)0049. 4 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0230. 4a Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0332.
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 15 April 2015 on the centenary of the Armenian genocide 1a, _________________ 1a Texts adopted, P8_TA(2015)0094.
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5
Citation 5
- having regard to the Negotiating Framework for Turkey of 3 October 2005, and to the fact that, as is the case for all candidate countries, Turkey’s accession to the EU depends on full compliance with the Copenhagen criteria, and to the need to normalize its relations with all EU Member States, including the Republic of Cyprus;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the Turkish Government continued to act in total disregard of the aforementioned calls of the international community, including the UN Security Council, with the Vice-President of Turkey visiting the sealed-off area of Varosha on 15 February 2020,hen a conference was held in the occupied territories on creating the legal basis for ‘turning Varosha into a large Turkish city in the eastern Mediterranean’ on 15 February 2020, in the presence of the Vice-President of Turkey together with members of the Turkish-Cypriot leadership and clearly stating Turkey’s intention to open Varosha under the ‘administration’ of the illegal secessionist entity in the occupied part of Cyprus;
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
- having regard to the declaration issued by the European Community and its Member States on 21 September 2005, following the declaration made by Turkey upon signature on 29 July 2005 of the Ankara Protocol, including the provision that the recognition of all Member States is a necessary component of the negotiations, and to the need for Turkey to proceed to the normalization of its relations with all Member States and to fully implement the Additional Protocol to the Ankara Agreement towards all MS, by removing all obstacles to the free movement of goods, including restrictions on means of transport, without prejudice and discrimination,
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas the return of Varosha to its lawful inhabitants would constitute a formidable confidence-building measure, and could become the catalyst for a fair, comprehensive settlementand viable settlement, in accordance with relevant UNSC resolutions, and in line with the values and principles on which the EU is founded and the acquis, by creating conditions of cooperation, mutual respect and trust between the two communities in Cyprus;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 b (new)
Citation 5 b (new)
- having regard to the Council Conclusions of 26 June 2018 and 18 June 2019 to the effect that the accession negotiations effectively come to a standstill and no further chapters can be considered for opening or closing and no further work towards the modernisation of the EU-Turkey Customs Union is foreseen,
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6
Citation 6
- having regard to the Council conclusions of 18 June 2019 on the standstill of Turkey's accession process, 15 July and 14 October 2019 on Turkey’s illegal drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean, to the European Council conclusions of 12 December 2019 on the illegal Memorandum of Understanding between Turkey and Libya, of 1 October 2020, to the statements of the EU Foreign Ministers of 15 May 2020 and 14 August 2020 on the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, to the outcome of the informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers (Gymnich) of 28 August 2020, and to all previous relevant Council and European Council conclusions,
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6
Citation 6
- having regard to the Council conclusions of 15 July and 14 October 2019 on Turkey’s illegal drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean, to the European Council conclusions of 1 October 2020 and 16 October 2020, to the statements of the EU Foreign Ministers of 15 May 2020 and 14 August 2020 on the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, to the outcome of the informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers (Gymnich) of 28 August 2020, and to all previous relevant Council and European Council conclusions,
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
- having regard to the restrictive measures framework established by the EU on 11 November 2019, as a response to Turkey’s illegal drilling activities in the eastern Mediterranean, which was renewed on6 November 2020,
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
- having regard to the EU-Turkey Readmission Agreement,
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
- 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, therefore, to the obligation of Turkey to implement all judgements of the European Courts, including the ECtHR,
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas being a candidate country presumes aquires the willingness together with concrete actions to progressively approach, in all aspects, the values, interests, standards and policies of the EU;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas being a candidate country presumes a willingnessthe commitment to progressively approachconverge in all aspects with the values, interests, standards, legislation and policies of the EU;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. Whereas, under the Negotiating Framework, Turkey is expected to unequivocally commit to good neighbourly relations, and the peaceful settlement of disputes having recourse, if necessary, to the International Court of Justice,
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas, in spite of this principled stance by Parliament and all of the current circumstances, the destabilising actions of Turkey in Libya, Syria and South Caucasus and its illegal actions in Eastern Mediterranean, the European Council, in its conclusions of 1 October 2020, offered Turkey a renewed and broad positive agenda, provided that constructive efforts are sustainedTurkey would stop its illegal activities, in a further attempt to restore our relations;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas, in spite of this principled stance by Parliament and all of the current circumstances, the European Council, in its conclusions of 1 October 2020, offered Turkey a renewed and broad positive agenda, provided that constructive efforts to stop illegal activities vis-à-vis Greece and Cyprus are sustained, in a further attempt to restore our relations;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Is deeply concerned that, over the years, the lack of progress in Turkey’s convergence has now transformed into a full withdrawal, marked by a stark regression in three main areas: backsliding on the rule of law and fundamental rights, adopting regressive institutional reforms and pursuing a confrontational foreign policy; is further concerned by the fact that this regression has increasingly been accompanied by an explicit anti-EU narrative; calls, in this context, on Turkey to reassess the sincerity of its commitment to the EU path, as an indispensable component of the viability of the entire accession processby the ongoing dispute in the Eastern Mediterranean and the related risk of a military escalation; condemns Turkey’s illegal activities in Greek and Cypriot waters, as well as Turkey’s violations of Greek national airspace, including overflights of inhabited areas, and territorial sea, which violate both the sovereign rights of EU Member States and international law; expresses its full solidarity with Greece and the Republic of Cyprus; urges Turkey to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes and to refrain from any illegal action or threat, including the unilateral attempt to abolish the maritime borders, in particular of the Greek island of Kastellorizo;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Is deeply concerned that, over the years, the lack of progress in Turkey’s convergence has now transformed into a full withdrawal, marked by a stark regression in three main areas: backsliding on the rule of law and fundamental rights, adopting regressive institutional reforms and pursuing a confrontational and destabilised foreign policy; is further concerned by the fact that this regression has increasingly been accompanied by an explicit anti-EU narrative by government officials; calls, in this context, on Turkey to reassess the sincerity of its commitment to the EU path, as an indispensable component of the viability of the entire accession process;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that no incentive that the EU could offer can ever replace the much- needed political will to build a mature democracy and, in turn, become a member of the EU; Recalls that accession process is and will remain a merit-based process fully dependent on the objective progress achieved by each country, including Turkey;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Recalls that the allocation of EU funds is conditional on the respect for the rule of law, democratic values, human rights, European and international law; due to the backsliding in all these areas in Turkey, reiterates its position that all the funds allocated under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III) to be directly managed by the EU in order to support Turkey's civil society, human rights defenders and journalists, and to increase opportunities for people-to- people contacts, academic dialogue and media platforms for journalists with the objective of protecting and promoting democratic values and principles, human rights and the rule of law and that no actions organised by the Turkish state should get financed by the EU budget as long as the situation does not significantly improve;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Regrets the current lack of understanding between the EU and Turkey, but reaffirms its firm conviction that Turkey is a strategic neighbour and ally with which the EU wishes to have the best possible relations; Pursuing dialogue in good faith and abstaining from unilateral actions which run counter to the EU interests and violate international law, the sovereignty and the sovereign rights of EU Member States is an absolute requirement in this regard;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Regrets the current lack of understanding between the EU andcommitment from the side of Turkey, but reaffirms its firm conviction that Turkey is a strategic neighbour and allyn important neighbouring country, with which the EU wishes to have the best possible relations based on international law and mutual respect;
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Regrets that the current overly broad anti-terrorism provisions and the abuse of the anti-terror measures have become the backbone of this state policy; reiterates its firm condemnation of the violence by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been on the EU list of terrorist organisations since 2002;notes with great concern the continued mass incarceration of people convicted or held in pre-trial detention on terrorism- related charges based on scant evidence; reiterates its firm condemnation of any violence against civilians from all state and non-state actors.
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Deeply regrets the discriminatory Covid-19 early release law which disregarded the right to life of those imprisoned on political grounds and failed to address the situation of those held in pre-trial detention; expresses concern about the unsanitary and overcrowded prison facilities.
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Considers that the erosion of the rule of law and the systemic lack of independence of the judiciary continues to be one of the most pressing and worrying issues; condemns the increased surveillance by the executive and the political pressure affecting the work of judges, prosecutors, lawyers and bar associations; is appalled by the mass arrest and prosecution of lawyers for representing their clients; is concerned about the legislative amendment allowing for the division of bar associations along political lines in a way to diminish their role as human rights watchdogs.
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Expresses serious concern about the disproportionate and arbitrary measures curtailing freedom of expression, media freedom and access to information; condemns the imprisonment of journalists, media employees as well as social media users; notes with deep concern the increasing restrictions and censorship imposed on social media platforms; urges Turkey to guarantee media freedom as a matter of priority;
Amendment 315 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Notes with great concern the way that the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) has been specifically and continuously targeted by the Turkish authorities; strongly condemns the continued detention of former HDP co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş; and Figen Yüksekdağ, members of parliament, elected mayors, administrators and members.
Amendment 353 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Calls on the Turkish Government to halt its plans for the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant; calls on Turkey to adhere to the Espoo Convention; asks the Turkish Government to involve, or at least consult, the governments of the neighbouring countries, such as Greece and Cyprus, in relation to any further developments in the Akkuyu venture;
Amendment 360 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Stresses that visa liberalisation will be possible once all the criteria have been fully and effectively met in a non- discriminatory manner;
Amendment 366 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Remains deeply concerned by the situation in the south-east ofKurdish issue in Turkey with regard to the protection of human rights, freedom of expression and political participation;
Amendment 372 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. 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 382 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Urges Turkey to protect the rights of minorities and vulnerable groups, including women, refugees, LGBTI people and ethnic and religious minorities; is appalled by the rise in hate crimes.
Amendment 388 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Deplores the fact that the Venice Commission recommendations on the status of religious communities in Turkey have yet to be implemented; reiterates its call on Turkey to respect the importance of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for Orthodox Christians all over the world, to recognise its legal personality and the public use of the ecclesiastical title of the Ecumenical Patriarch; stresses the need to eliminate restrictions on the training, appointment and succession of clergy, to allow the reopening of the Halki Seminary and lift all obstacles for its proper functioning;
Amendment 404 #
21a. Deeply regrets the decision to turn Hagia Sophia Museum to a Mosque which constitutes a blatant provocation to Orthodox Christians around the world and a destruction of a UNESCO world heritage monument that belongs to humanity; calls on Turkey to reconsider and reverse this decision; stresses that the decision on Hagia Sophia, undermines efforts of dialogue and cooperation between religious communities as well as Turkey’s pluralistic, multicultural social fabric; deplores Turkey’s widespread practice of expropriation, including church properties, which is a violation of the rights of religious minorities and of the principle of reciprocity; Reiterates in this respect its call on Turkey to respect the importance of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for Orthodox Christians and the public use of its ecclesiastical title, to remove restrictions on the training, appointment and succession of clergy and to allow the reopening of the Halki Seminary and lift all obstacles for its proper functioning;
Amendment 406 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Strongly condemns the decision by the Turkish authorities to convert Hagia Sophia a World Heritage Monument into mosque, in violation of the UNCESCO Convention concerning the protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, to which Turkey is signatory member; Deplores that Moni tis Choras/Chora Church was also converted from museum into a mosque during the last months; Urges the Turkish government to reverse its decisions and protect the multicultural character of the country; believes these actions undermine the trust between the Turkish government and the religious communities in the country;
Amendment 414 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 c (new)
Paragraph 21 c (new)
21c. Regrets the fact that the Treasury has appealed favourable decisions for the restitution of properties according to the Law on Foundations and most of the appeals against rejected claims are pending either before local courts or at ECHR; calls for the publication of the new electoral regulation for non Muslim foundations, following its annulment in 2013, which has created serious problems to proper administration of these foundations as no elections can take place; recalls the need for Turkey to fully implement all recommendations of the Council of Europe Resolution 1625(2008) with particular emphasis on the restitution property rights of the Greek Orthodox population and its foundations on the islands of Imvros and Tenedos, as well as inheritance rights and adopt all necessary positive discrimination measures for assisting the repatriation of all minority families who wish to return to the islands; underlines the need to preserve the bicultural character of the islands;
Amendment 471 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Recalls the laudable role played by Turkey in responding to the migration crisis resulting from the war in Syria; takes the view that the EU should continue to give the necessary support to Syrian refugees and host communities in Turkeycondemns Turkey's instrumentalization of migratory pressure at the EU’s external borders in late February-March 2020; regrets the fact that the EU-Turkey deal excludes the repatriation of migrants, for which Tukey is a safe country, from Greek mainland and is limited exclusively to the islands; recommends, in this regard, that migrants entering the EU from Evros area in Greece and/or from Bulgaria, should be included in the EU- Turkey agreement. Takes the view that the EU should continue to give the necessary support to Syrian refugees and host communities in Turkey in line with strict conditionality, including for respecting the principles of the United Nations Charter and International Law; supports an objective assessment of the EU-Turkey Statement and underlines the importance of both parties’ compliance with their respective commitments;
Amendment 472 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Recalls the laudable role played by Turkey in responding to the migration crisis resulting from the war in Syria; takes the view that the EU should continue to give the necessary support to Syrian refugees and host communities in Turkey; supports an objective assessment of the EU-Turkey Statement and underlines the importance of both parties’ compliance with their respective commitmentsits implementation in a non-discriminatory way; Regrets that as a result of Turkey’s weaponization of refugees an increase in asylum applications was registered in Cyprus in the first quarter of 2020; notes that pending the full and effective implementation of the EU-Turkey Readmission Agreement vis-à-vis all Member States, existing bilateral readmission agreements and provisions in similar agreements and arrangements with EU Member States, should be adequately implemented. Cooperation in the area of justice and home affairs with all EU Member States remains essential;
Amendment 474 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Recalls the laudable role played by Turkey in responding to the migration crisis resultinghosting refugees from the war in Syria; takes the view that the EU should continue to give the necessary support to Syrian refugees and host communities in Turkey; supports an objective assessment of the EU-Turkey Statement and underlines the importance of both parties’ compliance with their respective commitments; however at the same time criticises the resettlement of Syrian refugees to Turkish-occupied regions in the North of Syria, from which the local Syrian population was previously displaced and is now prevented from returning; refugees must not be brought back to Syria against their will, nor must they be used to carry out demographic engineering against the Kurdish and Christian population in the North of Syria.
Amendment 498 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Suggests that Turkey should facilitate, in good spirit, all the asylum requests processing on Turkish territory in collaboration with EU member states embassies, to avoid concentration of asylum seekers.
Amendment 499 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Deplores the negative role of Turkey, threatening regional peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East and South Caucasus and its role in conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Libya and in Nagorno-Karabakh;
Amendment 506 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Stresses that a modernisation of the Customs Union could be beneficial for both parties and would keep Turkey economically and normatively anchored to the EU; reiterates that this would need to be based on strong conditionality related to human rights and, fundamental freedoms, respect of the international law and good neighbourly relations; highlights that it seems unrealistic to envisage any modernisation of the Customs Union given the current circumstancsituation in human rights inside the country and its destabilising foreign policy; deplore the continuous violations of the current framework and the calls to boycott on EU Member States; recalls that the current Customs Union will not achieve its full potential until Turkey fully implements the Additional Protocol in relation to all Member States, which should be a precondition for the opening of the negotiations for the modernisation;
Amendment 507 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Stresses that a potential modernisation of the Customs Union could be beneficial for both parties provided that it is implemented vis-à-vis all Member States, including the Republic of Cyprus, in a non-discriminatory manner and would keep Turkey economically and normatively anchored to the EU; reiterates that this would need to be based on strong conditionality related toincluding human rights and fundamental freedoms and its non- discriminatory implementation vis-à-vis all MS; highlights that it seems unrealistic to envisage any modernisation of the Customs Union given the current circumstances; recallgrets that the current Customs Union will not achieve its full potential until Turkey fully and effectively implements the Additional Protocol in relation to all Member States in a non- discriminatory manner, which is a prerequisite for the opening of the negotiations for the modernisation;
Amendment 520 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Stresses that a modernisation of the Customs Union could be beneficial for both parties and would keep Turkey economically and normatively anchored to the EU; reiterates that this would need to be based on strong conditionality related to human rights and fundamental freedoms; highlights that it seems unrealistic to envisagestresses that given the current circumstances, any modernisation of the Customs Union given the current circumstancescan't be envisaged; recalls that the current Customs Union will not achieve its full potential until Turkey fully implements the Additional Protocol in relation to all Member States;
Amendment 521 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Reiterates its call on Turkey to comply with the Declaration by the European community and its member states of 21 September 2005 which was adopted following the declaration made by Turkey upon signature on 29 July 2005 of the Ankara Protocol and 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, 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, of Customs Union and of every agreement between the EU and Turkey and calls for progress without any further delay;
Amendment 526 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Deplores Turkey’s continuing refusal to respect the aviation law and establish a channel of communication between air traffic control centres in Turkey and the Republic of Cyprus which entails real safety risks and dangers for the European passengers as identified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations and call on Turkey to collaborate by respecting the EU aviation law;
Amendment 528 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 c (new)
Paragraph 26 c (new)
26c. Urges Turkey to act in a spirit of solidarity without discrimination during the pandemic and regrets that Turkish authorities have denied entry into its airspace of a Cyprus-bound flight with medical equipment;
Amendment 533 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Is deeply concerned by the ongoing disputeTurkey’s illegal activities in the Eastern Mediterranean and the related risk of a military escalation; strongly condemns the threats of military action against EU Member States by Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean; strongly condemns Turkey’s illegal activities in Greek and Cypriot watermaritime zones, which violate both the sovereign rights of EU Member States and international law; expresses its full solidarity with Greece and the Republic of Cyprus; urges Turkey to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes and to refrain from any unilateral and illegal action or threat; calls on Turkey to sign and ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which is part of the EU acquis, 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; urges Turkey to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes and to refrain from any unilateral and illegal action or threat; in this respect, welcomes the invitation by the Government of Cyprus to Turkey to negotiate in good faith the maritime delimitation between their relevant coasts, including by having recourse, to the International Court of Justice and calls on Turkey to accept Cyprus’ invitation;
Amendment 537 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Is deeply concerned by the ongoing dispute in themultiple NAVTEXs issued by Turkey for exploration in Eastern Mediterranean and, in the relatedcontinental shelf off the Greek island of Kastelorizo, increasing the risk of a military escalation; condemns Turkey’s illegal activities in Greek and Cypriot waters, which violate both the sovereign rights of EU Member States and international law; Strongly condemns the repeated violations of the Greek territorial waters and national airspace, including the overflights of inhabited islands in the Aegean sea and over the region of Evros; expresses its full solidarity with Greece and the Republic of Cyprus; urges Turkey to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes and to refrain from any unilateral and illegal action or threat; reiterates its regret that the casus belli threat declared by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in 1995 against Greece, in case has not yet been withdrawn and it is repeated in relation to the possible extension of the Greek territorial waters in the Aegean Sea;
Amendment 548 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Reiterates that the European Council of 1 and 2 October 2020 recalled to Turkey that the EU will use all the instruments and the options at its disposal, including of imposing a sanctions’ regime on Turkey , in accordance with Article 29 TEU and Article 215 TFEU, in order to defend its interests and those of its Member State; recalls the Council Conclusions of 14 October 2019 calling the Member States to take strong national positions regarding their arms export policy to Turkey on the basis of the provisions of Common position 2008/944/CFSP, including the strict application of criterion 4 on regional stability and calls to consider introducing an initiative in the Council for all EU Member States to halt arms export licensing to Turkey in accordance with this Common Position; reiterates its call on the VP/HR for as long as Turkey continues with its current illegal, unilateral actions in the Eastern Mediterranean that run counter to the sovereignty of any EU Member State and international law, and does not engage in dialogue based on international law, to introduce an initiative in the Council for all EU Member States to halt arms export for all types of military equipment, including weapons, weapons for dual-use goods and know-how, to Turkey in accordance with the Common Position;; Calls on the NATO leadership to communicate in the strongest terms to Turkey that it will not tolerate the country’s aggressive acts against fellow NATO members;
Amendment 552 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27b. Reiterates its call on the Turkish government to sign and ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which is part of the European acquis and recalls that even though Turkey is not a signatory, customary law provides for Exclusive Economic Zone for both inhabited and uninhabited islands; Calls on Turkey to proceed to the negotiating table in good faith in order to solve the issue of the delimitation of maritime zones with Greece and the Republic of Cyprus and to accept the referral of the dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, in the event a settlement cannot be reach through negotiations;
Amendment 558 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Condemns the partial illegal reopening of Varosha beach, which undermines mutual trust and therefore the prospect of the resumption of direct talks on the comprehensive resolution of the Cyprus issue; calls on Turkey to reverse this action; reiterates its support for a fair, comprehensive and viable settlement on the basis of a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with political equalitycalls on Turkey to withdraw its troops from Cyprus, to transfer the Varosha area to its lawful inhabitants under the temporary administration of the UN in accordance with UNSC Resolution 550 (1984), and to refrain from any actions altering the demographic balance on the island through a policy of illegal settlements; reiterates its call on Turkey, to commit and contribute to a comprehensive settlement in line with United Nations Security Council relevant resolutions; reiterates its support for a fair, comprehensive and viable settlement of the Cyprus problem within the UN framework and in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions, international law and in line with the EU acquis and the principles on which the EU is founded;
Amendment 568 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Condemns the partial reopening of Varosha beach, which undermines mutual trust and therefore the prospect of the resumption of direct talks on the comprehensive resolution of the Cyprus issue; calls on Turkey to reverse this action and to refrain from provoking nationalist sentiments; reiterates its support for a fair, comprehensive and viable settlement on the basis of a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with political equality;
Amendment 576 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Praises the important work of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) and calls on Turkey to allow unconditional and full access to military zones and all relevant sites and to provide proprio motu with all relevant information from its military and other archives without delay, thus maximising the effectiveness of the excavations conducted by the CMP;
Amendment 580 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 b (new)
Paragraph 28 b (new)
28b. 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 584 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Strongly condemns the Turkish military interventions in Syria, especially in the northeast and Idlib, which constitute grave violations of international law, and are undermining the stability and security of the region as a whole; strongly condemns the recruitment and transfer by Turkey of foreign terrorist fighters from northern Syria in order to fight as mercenaries in Libya and Nagorno- Karabakh;
Amendment 592 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Strongly condemns the Turkish military interventions in Syria, especially in the northeast and Idlib, which constitute grave violations of international law and calls on the Turkish government to end its illegal occupation of northern Syria and Afrin and withdraw its military and paramilitary proxy forces;
Amendment 595 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Strongly condemns the Turkish military interventions in Syria, especially in the northeast and Idlib, Afrin, Ras al- Ayn/Sere Kaniye and Tal Abyad which constitute grave violations of international law;
Amendment 599 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Amendment 601 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Calls on Turkey to remain committed to the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Libya under the auspices of the UN, and to fully adhere to the arms embargo imposed by the UN Security Council; regrets that in at least two instances Turkey has denied the personnel of EUNAVFOR MED Irini to inspect ships travelling from Turkey to Libya; recalls that all candidate countries should align their foreign policy with the EU’s foreign and security policy and not to actively work against it; Strongly condemns the signature of the two Memorandums of Understanding between Turkey and Libya on the delimitation of maritime zones and on comprehensive security and military cooperation, which are interconnected and are in clear violation of both international law and the UN Security Council resolution imposing an arms embargo on Libya;
Amendment 603 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Calls on Turkey to remain committed to the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Libya under the auspices of the UN, and to fully adhere to; Calls in this regard, on the Council to start cooperation between EUNAVFOR MED IRINI and the NATO Operation Sea Guardian in order to ensure that operation IRINI is equipped with the necessary assets and personnel to effectively perform its core task of monitoring land, sea and air traffic activities and contributing to the full implementation of the arms embargo imposed by the UN Security Council;
Amendment 614 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 30 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Amendment 624 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Strongly condemns Turkey’s destabilizing role in the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict and its hostile rhetoric and military actions against the Armenian people; Regrets that, rather than calling for an end to the violence and for a resumption of peaceful negotiations supporting the efforts of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, Turkey instead decided to unconditionally sustain the military actions of one of the sides in the recent conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh;
Amendment 632 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Regrets that, rather than calling for an end to the violence and for a resumption of peaceful negotiations supporting the efforts of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, Turkey instead decided to unconditionally sustain the military actions of one of the sides in the recent conflict in Nagorno-Karabakhe destabilising role of Turkey in the recent conflict in Nagorno- Karabakh where unconditionally military supported Azerbaijan providing technical support, unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) and transporting foreign terrorist fighters from northern Syria in order to fight as mercenaries; regrets its willingness to destabilise the OSCE Minsk Group;
Amendment 641 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31a. Stresses that Turkey’s direct engagement in support of Azerbaijan, in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, goes beyond its geo-economic interests and reflects a more ambitious geopolitical agenda, as is the case with Turkey’s actions in Libya and Syria, and notes with concern that Turkey’s continuous and growing distancing from European values and standards has brought EU-Turkey relations to a historic low point;
Amendment 656 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Believes that it is high time to review the EU’s relations with Turkey and to define a comprehensive, unified and coherent strategy for the medium to long term, among all EU institutions and Member States particularly in the light of the ongoing escalation in the Eastern Mediterranean; calls in this respect on HR/VP to consider appointing a special envoy for the Eastern Mediterranean to facilitate that task;
Amendment 657 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Regrets that Turkey has become from a partner to an instability factor in the EU Neighbourhood; Believes that it is high time to review the EU’s relations with Turkey and to define a comprehensive, unified and coherent strategy for the medium to long term, among all EU institutions and Member States;
Amendment 667 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 32 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Reiterates its calls on the VP / HR, for as long as Turkey continues with its current illegal, unilateral actions and aggressive and expansionist foreign policy, including in the Eastern Mediterranean that run counter to the sovereignty of any EU Member State (notably Greece and Cyprus) and international law, and does not engage in dialogue based on international law, to introduce an initiative in the Council for all EU Member States to halt arms export for all types of military equipment, including weapons, weapons for dual-use goods and know-how, to Turkey in accordance with the Common Position; recalls that Member States committed to strong national positions regarding their arms export policy to Turkey on the basis oft he provisions of Common Position 2008/944/CFSP, including the strict application of criterion 4 on regional stability;
Amendment 669 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. calls on Turkey to stop the attempts to influence European policy through a targeted diaspora policy and to mobilise Turkish- and Islamic communities against the secular understanding of freedom of religion and expression;
Amendment 671 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 b (new)
Paragraph 32 b (new)
32b. Recalls that Turkey has to stop in particular the attempt of the Turkish government to spy and put pressure on opposition members and politicians of Turkish origin in Europe and condemns in the strongest possible terms all attempts to use violence and intimidation against intellectuals, activists or politicians in Europe.
Amendment 683 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Takes the view that enhancing communication and dialogue at all levels are key to restoring mutual trust between the EU and Turkey; deplores the continuous and unjustified refusal of the Turkish side to reinstate the normal functioning of the EU- Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee;
Amendment 685 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 33 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Deplores the fact that despite the efforts for de-escalation, Turkey continues its unilateral provocative actions, violating international law and the sovereign rights of EU Member States; reiterates its calls on the Council to impose sanctions on Turkey including by targeting the economic and energy sector, and in the absence of any progress to consider the full suspension of the EU-Turkey customs union;