Activities of Željana ZOVKO related to 2022/2205(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
2022 Report on Türkiye (debate)
Amendments (18)
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 a (new)
Citation 3 a (new)
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1529 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 September 2021 establishing the Instrument for Pre- accession Assistance (IPA III),
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
– having regard to the UNESCO statement of 10 July 2020 on Hagia Sophia,
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas devastating earthquakes struck south-eastern Türkiye on 6 February 2023, causing numerous fatalities and extensive infrastructure damage; whereas the EU and its international partners have pledged 7 billion euros during the International Donors Conference to aid Turkey after the 6 February earthquake;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas Türkiye remains a candidate for EU accession, a NATO ally and a key trade and economic partner, as well as a key partner on migration; whereas the European Union and its Member States are friend and partner of Turkey and its people with whom Europe shares deep commercial, cultural and historical links;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas Türkiye has been gradually moving further away from the EU’s values and normative framework, as exemplified by a number of measures curtailing fundamental freedoms and human rights; whereas Turkey needs to credibly demonstrate its commitment to closer relations and alignment with the European Union in order to reinvigorate its European perspective;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the Russian war of aggression continues to cause unprecedented geopolitical shifts in Europe; whereas Türkiye’s key location allows it to play an instrumental, strategic role in the events; whereas Türkiye remains key partner for the stability in the wider East Mediterranean region;
Amendment 118 #
2. Reiterates its profound sadness about the deadly, devastating earthquakes that shook south-eastern Türkiye and Syria on 6 February 2023 and its heartfelt condolences to the victims’ families; welcomes the international relief and recovery effort, including by the EU and its Member States and swift activation of EU Civil Protection Mechanism to assist affected areas;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Is of the opinion that the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine continues to impact EU-Türkiye relations in ways that are yet to unfold; welcomes Türkiye's condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country; reiterates its appreciation for Türkiye’s role as an early mediator between Ukraine and Russia and the key part played by Türkiye in brokering and keeping alive the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which has been crucial in helping to counter a severe global hunger crisis;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Deplores, against the backdrop of the warRussian invasion of Ukraine and changing security architecture on the European continent, the delaying of the ratification of Sweden’s NATO accession, which only plays into Russia’s hands; invites and undermines relations between Türkiye and its NATO allies; calls on the Turkish authorities to deliver on their promise of a more constructive partnership in NATO, including in the East Mediterranean, and to ratify Sweden’s NATO membership in the Grand National Assembly as early as possible;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Is dismayed by the fact that, far from the negative trend stopping or being reversed, the democratic backsliding in Türkiye has continued in the last year, with new legal reforms and a relentless crackdown on any critical voice, particularly ahead of and during the recent elections; affirms with regret that Türkiye has now become a global showcase for all kinds of authoritarian practices; calls on all elected political parties to uphold democratic values and principles and take active part in the political life and parliamentary work in order to support Turkish democracy;
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Remains deeply concerned about the lack of independence of the judiciary, the continued breach of the obligation to abide by the landmark rulings of the European Court of Human Rights, the serious restrictions on fundamental freedoms – particularly freedom of expression and of association – and the constant attacks on the fundamental rights of members of the opposition, lawyers, journalists, academics and civil society activists in Türkiye; regrets that public statements by executives about ongoing judicial cases, undermine the judicial independence and impartiality even further; is particularly worried by the continued crackdown on Kurdish politicians, journalists, lawyers and artists; expresses concern about the deterioration of the rights of women and the constant targeting and harassment of LGBTI+ people, both of whom could see their rights further curtailed by the possible amendments to Türkiye’s constitution;
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Concludes that the Turkish Government has no interest in closing the persistent and growing gap between Türkiye and the EU on values and standards, as it has shown, for the past few years, a clear lack of political will to carry out the necessary reforms to address, in particular, the serious concerns about the rule of law and fundamental rights that continue to negatively affect the country’s EU accession process; calls on the elected political parties to continue their democratic and parliamentary efforts in promoting the European path for Türkiye;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes, after a confrontational period, Türkiye’s recent steps towards normalising relations with several countries, such as Armenia, Egypt, Israel and the Gulf states, but remains concerned by the fact that Türkiye’s foreign policy still clashes in many aspects with EU interests and, far from growing closer to the EU, it has further diverged in the last year, reaching a record low of alignment with just 7 % of common foreign and security policy decisions; regrets the continued backsliding of dialogue on foreign policies between Turkey and the EU and the execution of Turkish military actions in Eastern Mediterranean, Libya, Syria and the Caucasus; recalls that as NATO member, Turkey plays a geostrategic role ensuring regional and European security and is expected to act in line with its NATO obligations;
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Welcomes the overall de-escalation of tensions observed in the eastern Mediterranean in recent times, particularly in the wake of the February earthquakes, and expresses its hope that a possible new era in Türkiye’s foreign policy might yield positive results in the bilateral relations between Türkiye and all EU Member States; commends efforts between Turkey and Greece to find sustainable and inclusive solutions for open billateral issues; regrets the recent aggresive rhetoric and allegations by Turkey regarding the Greek territorial waters and sovereignty of islands in the Aegean Sea; expresses its unwavering support and full solidarity with Greece; calls on Turkey to refrain from any provocative and counterproductive rhetoric in the future and to settle the differences through diplomatic channels; reiterates its long- standing support for a solution to the Cyprus problem on the basis of a bi- communal, bi-zonal federation and reaffirms its positions on the matter expressed in its resolution of 7 June 2022;
Amendment 294 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. calls for the cooperation of Turkey with Operation IRINI in enforcing the arms embargo on Libya and in fighting human smuggling and trafficking;
Amendment 365 #
15. Considers, in view of all the above, that in the absence of a drastic change of course by the Turkish Government, Türkiye’s EU accession process has lost its purpose and will not endure much longer in the current circumstances; recommends, in that case, starting a reflection process to find an alternative and realistic framework for EU-Türkiye relations in substitution for the accession process; calls on the Commission, therefore, to explore possible formats for a mutually appealing framework through a comprehensive and inclusive process; welcomes Türkiye’s participation in the summits of European Political Community;
Amendment 377 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Stresses that financial assistance of the Instrument for Pre-accession assistance (IPAIII) is based on a conditionality linked to the ‘fundamentals first’ approach; recalls that IPA III support can be suspended in the event of the degradation of democracy, human rights or the rule of law and modulated when indicators show significant regression or persistent lack of progress;
Amendment 387 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Encourages Turkey and the EU to promote European integration by supporting young people, promoting youth participation and by building on prior experience in the cooperation in research and education; welcomes in this regard the agreements granting Turkey association status to Horizon Europe, Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps for the period 2021-2027;