39 Amendments of Isabel WISELER-LIMA related to 2019/2176(INI)
Amendment 1 #
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 talks5a; _________________ 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. 5a Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0332.
Amendment 9 #
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 accession 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 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 c (new)
Citation 5 c (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 recognition of all Member States is a necessary component of the accession process, and to the need for Turkey to fully implement the Additional Protocol to the Ankara Agreement in relation to all Member States, by removing all obstacles to the free movement of goods, without restrictions or discrimination;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
- having regard to the Council’s decision of July 2019 to suspend negotiations with Turkey on the Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 b (new)
Citation 5 b (new)
- having regard to the decision of the European Investment Bank to heavily restrict its lending operations in Turkey;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6
Citation 6
- having regard to the Council conclusions of 26 June 2018 and 18 June 2019 on enlargement and stabilisation and association process, 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 12 December 2019, 1-2 and 15-16 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 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
-A. whereas Turkey has been linked to the EU by an Association Agreement since 1964 and a Customs Union was established in 1995, the European Council granted the status of candidate country to Turkey in December 1999 and accession negotiations were opened in October 2005;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas beingTurkey is a candidate country presumes a willingnessand an important partner of the EU and is expected to uphold the highest standards of democracy, respect of human rights and rule of law including compliance with international conventions and whereas this presumes the commitment to progressively approachlign in all aspects with the values, interests, standards and policies and the acquis of the EU;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. Whereas Turkey is a NATO ally and should be encouraged to act in line with the NATO Treaty which states that members should refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force in any manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations;
Amendment 74 #
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 1-2 October 2020, offered Turkey a renewed and broad positive agenda, provided that constructive efforts by Turkey to stop illegal activities vis-à-vis Greece and Cyprus are sustained, in a further attempt to restore our relations;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas, the European Council, in the same conclusions, highlighted that, in case of renewed unilateral actions or provocations in breach of international law by Turkey, the EU will use all the instruments and the options at its disposal, including in accordance with Article 29 TEU and Article 215 TFEU, in order to defend its interests and those of its Member States, and take decisions as appropriate at the latest at its December meeting;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes with concern that Turkey’s continuous and growing distancing from European values and standards has brought EU-Turkey relations to a historical low point, having deteriorated to such an extent that it requires both parties to profoundly reassess the current framework of relations which should effectively solve the root causes of the current conflicts;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that Turkey’s lack of commitment to carrying out the reforms assumed in the accession process has made the latter inadequate to frame a complex relationship that has progressively become more transactional and driven by circumstances; notes that within the framework of accession negotiations, only 16 of the 35 chapters had been opened and only the chapter of Science and Research was provisionally closed on 12 June 2006; stresses that Turkey's accession negotiations have therefore effectively come to a standstill and no further chapters can be considered for opening or closing;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Is concerned about the further weakened credibility of the Turkish monetary policy after the dismissal of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT) and recurrent political pressure; stresses that Turkey’s accession to the EU depends on full compliance with the Copenhagen criteria;
Amendment 137 #
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 at times; 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 147 #
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;
Amendment 174 #
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 ithe EU has a strategic neighbour and ally with which the EU wishes to have the best possible relations; interest in a stable and secure environment in the Eastern Mediterranean and in the development of a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship with Turkey with which the EU should build 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 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Expresses its will to strengthen and deepen mutual knowledge and understanding between Turkish and European societies, combating all manifestations of social, religious or cultural prejudice; expresses its full commitment to continue supporting Turkey’s independent civil society in whatever circumstances and framework of relations that the future may bring; believes, nevertheless, that the accession process would still be the mostrecommends to support the next generation through extended participation in the Erasmus + program and Jean Monnet scholarships to support research cooperation and the common fight against climate change and for the protection of the environment and last but not least to support the empowerment of women in society and business; believes, nevertheless, that the perspective to a new and clearly defined partnership can be a powerful tool to exercise normative pressure on the Turkish government and the besta framework to sustain the democratic and pro-European aspirations of Turkish society; stresses that a purely transactional relationship will hardly contribute to the advancement of Turkey towards a more democratic model;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Believes that this fundamental area, which is at the core of the accession process, cannot be disconnected and isolated from overall relations and that it remains along with the full respect of international law and the fundamental principle of good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation, the main obstacles to progress on any positive agenda that could be offered to Turkey;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes with deep concern that, despite the formal lifting of the state of emergency in July 2018, its impact on democracy and fundamental rights continues to be strongly felt; , as, inter alia, a plethora of legal provisions and restrictive elements of the emergency rule have been integrated into law
Amendment 254 #
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; 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;
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Is concerned about the remained and widespread corruption; stresses that the report states that no sign of progress in addressing the many gaps in the Turkish anti-corruption framework was found, calls on Turkey to present an effective anti-corruption strategy and action plan;
Amendment 356 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Notes that EU funding to Turkey will be subject to rules on conditionality, including for respecting the principles of the United Nations Charter, international law and European values and principles;
Amendment 369 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Condemns the Turkish government's callous action against religious minorities, such as the monastics of Mor Gabriel and other monasteries in south eastern Turkey, which are obliged to do the impossible, namely the production of pre-Medieval property papers of all lands, on pain of confiscation;
Amendment 374 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Urges Turkey to protect the rights of minorities and vulnerable groups, including women, LGBTI people and ethnic and religious minorities; condemns the pervasive hate-speech against LGBTI people, especially when done by high-level political and religious figures; condemns the lack of proper investigation, prosecution and sanction of hate speech, both online and offline, and of hate crime; calls on authorities and officials to firmly condemn all acts of violence and hate speech against minorities and vulnerable groups and to investigate and prosecute them effectively;
Amendment 379 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Urges Turkey to protect the rights of minorities and vulnerable groups, including women, LGBTI people and ethnic and religious minorities; recalls that the representation of women in Parliament remained low, in casu 17.3%.
Amendment 390 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Urges the Turkish authorities to end the protracted bans on Pride marches in several cities; calls on the Turkish authorities to ensure that the right to freedom of assembly and association, as enshrined in Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, can be effectively enjoyed, without discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity, in respect of the recommendation of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe;1a _________________ 1a https://search.coe.int/cm/Pages/result_det ails.aspx?ObjectID=09000016805cf40a
Amendment 396 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Strongly condemns the Turkish decision to convert such an emblematic World Cultural Heritage Monument, as Hagia Sophia Museum, to a mosque and calls on the Turkish authorities to urgently reverse their decision;
Amendment 445 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Is concerned aboutStrongly condemns the ever more frequent use of a hyper-nationalist narrative among the ruling elite that increasingly gives rise to antagonistic approaches towards the EU or its Member States; is concerned about the increasing clout of religious conservatism in political lifacknowledges that Turkey remains a secular state;
Amendment 451 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Calls on the Turkish government to respect and fully implement the legal obligations deriving from the Conventions to which it is a contracting party, and to halt the destruction of the cultural heritage in the occupied areas of Cyprus; calls on Turkey to ratify the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions; calls on Turkey to cooperate with the relevant international organisations, especially the Council of Europe, in preventing and combating illicit trafficking and the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage;
Amendment 463 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Strongly condemns the removal of 47 democratically elected mayors from office on the basis of questionable evidence and, in particular, their arbitrary replacement by unelected trustees appointed by the central government; strongly believes these unlawful decisions constitute a direct attack on the most basic principles of democracy, depriving millions of voters of their democratically elected representation;
Amendment 477 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Recalls the laudable role played by TurkeyTurkey played and still plays in responding to the migration crisis resulting from the war in Syria; notes that the challenges in addressing this crisis have increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic; 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 Statementcooperation on refugees and migration matters and underlines the importance of both parties’sides to compliancey with their respective commitments;
Amendment 494 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Is alarmed by the fact that Turkey’s foreign policy increasingly collides with the priorities and goals of EU’s common foreign and security policy; notes with deep concern that the rate of Turkey’s alignment with the common foreign policy of the EU is constantly deteriorating and is at present reduced to 14%, which is a historic low;
Amendment 514 #
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 envisage any modernisation of the Customs Union given the current circumstances; 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 543 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Is deeply concerned by the ongoing dispute in the Eastern Mediterranean and the related risk of a military escalation;s; strongly condemns Turkey’s illegal activities in Greek and Cypriot waters, 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; urges Turkey to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes and to refrain from any unilateral and illegal action or threat, as that could have a negative impact on good neighbourly relations;
Amendment 561 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. CStrongly condemns the partial reopening of Varosha beach, which violates international law and UN Security Council Resolutions 550 and 789 and undermines mutual trust and therefore the prospect of the resumption of direct talks on the comprehensive resolution of the Cyprus issue; underlines the importance of the status of Varosha and calls on Turkey to immediately 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 equality, as set out in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, in accordance with International law, the EU acquis and the principles on which the Union is founded;
Amendment 635 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. RegretsCondemns the fact 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 663 #
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; invites Turkey to engage in a dialogue
Amendment 688 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33a. Takes into account not only the absence of any progress in engaging with Turkey, but also the renewed escalation on the Turkish side by unilateral actions and provocations in breach of international law by the latter, and calls on the Council to develop a list of further restrictive measures that should be sectoral and targeted; in this spirit, recalls the European Council’s conclusions of 1- 2 October 2020 that the EU will use all the instruments and the options at its disposal, including in accordance with Articles 29 TEU and 215 TFEU, in order to defend its interests and those of its Member – States;