[ParlTrack]

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines that 2016 was a difficult year for Turkey’s population as a result of the continuing war in Syria, the high numbers of refugees, a string of heinous terror attacks, and a violent ‘coup attempt’ in which 248 people were killed; reiterates its strong condemnation of the coup attempt of 15 July and expresses its solidarity with the people of Turkey; recognises the right and the responsibility of the Turkish government to take action in bringing the perpetrators to justice;

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

Jean-Luc SCHAFFHAUSER

Motion for a resolution
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;deleted

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

Jean-Luc SCHAFFHAUSER

Motion for a resolution
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 2004; 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 withfor both sides of good relations between Turkey and the Member States of the European Union;

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

Jean-Luc SCHAFFHAUSER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Takes note of the outcome of the referendum that took place on 16 April 2017, held under the state of emergency and in circumstances that prevented a fair campaign; supports an independent evaluation of all claims regarding irregularities; notes the remarks of the Venice Commission on the constitutional reform, and underlines that the proposed constitutional amendments do not respect the fundamental principles of the separation of powers and sufficient checks and balances, and are not in line with the Copenhagen criteria;deleted

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

Jean-Luc SCHAFFHAUSER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Calls on the ~~Commission and the~~ Member States to suspend the accession talks with Turkey ~~if the constitutional package is implemented unchanged~~;

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

Jean-Luc SCHAFFHAUSER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Believes that strengthening trade relations 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 Union; 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 involvement of social partners in negotiations as crucial; calls on the Commission to include political benchmarks on human rights and fundamental freedoms in the upgraded Customs Union;deleted

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

Jean-Luc SCHAFFHAUSER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Notes that visa liberalisation is important for the Turkish population and will enhance people-to-people contacts; encourages the Turkish Government to comply with the final outstanding criteria, including revision of its anti-terrorism legislationthere should be no further talk of visa liberalisation given the dangerous situation on Turkey's borders and the risk of ever greater numbers of terrorists reaching the country;

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

Jean-Luc SCHAFFHAUSER

Motion for a resolution
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 Turkish civil society and to invest more in people-to-people exchange programmes, such as Erasmus+ for students;deleted

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

Jean-Luc SCHAFFHAUSER

Motion for a resolution
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 the bilateral readmission agreements signed with Bulgaria and Greece;deleted

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

Jean-Luc SCHAFFHAUSER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Condemns strongly the recent statements by President Erdogan accusing some EU leaders of ‘Nazi practices’ and warns that the continuation of such unwarranted statements undermines Turkey’s credibility as a political partner; notes with concern the reports of alleged pressure on members of the Turkish diaspora living in the Member States, and condemns the Turkish authorities’ surveillance of citizeNotes that the Member States of the EU respect the national sovereignty of Turkey and expect it to do likewise (particularly during electoral campaigns, w~~ith dual nationality living abroad; is concerned at the revocation of a large number of passports, leaving people stateless~~hich should not be carried on in EU Member States, but only in Turkey);

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

Jean-Luc SCHAFFHAUSER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the ~~Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign and Security Policy, and the~~ Member States.

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

11 Amendments of Jean-Luc SCHAFFHAUSER related to 2016/2308(INI)

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