Activities of Malik AZMANI related to 2021/2250(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
2021 Report on Turkey (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the 2021 Commission Report on Turkey
Amendments (47)
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)
Citation 4 a (new)
— – Having Regard to Turkey’s membership in the Council of Europe and in NATO;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
— having regard to the report of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on ‘Restrictions on NGO activities in Council of Europe Member States';1a _________________ 1a PACE report on Restrictions on NGO activities in Council of Europe Member States, accessible at https://assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/XRef/Xref -XML2HTML-en.asp?fileid=28906⟨=en
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas Turkey, besides being a candidate forto EU accession, is a key partner in relation to the economy, trade and migration, as well as a strategic partner, security and counter-terrorism, green transition and migration, as well as a strategic partner; Whereas Turkey is the EU’s sixth trading partner while the EU is Turkey’s largest trading partner; Whereas Turkey is a key member in NATO and plays an instrumental geostrategic role in the security architecture of the Black Sea and, in particular, in the security of Ukraine, which is facing Russian aggression;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas, in the aftermath of recent tensions between the EU and Turkey, particularly in relation to the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, the European Council offered to nurture a more positive dynamic in EU-Turkey relations by expressing readiness to engage with Turkey in a phased, proportionate and reversible manner in a number of areas of common interest on the condition of improvements in EU-Turkey relations and the respect for democratic values and the rule of law by the Turkish government;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas being a candidate country presumes a willingness to progressively approach in all aspects the values, interests, standards and policies of the EU and to respect and uphold the Copenhagen criteria and to align itself with EU policies and objectives; whereas an analysis of the EU’s reports in recent years reveal that Turkey’s distance from the EU’s values and its normative framework is still considerablevast and is even growing in fundamental areas such as respect for international law, the rule of law and human rights; Whereas the links between Turkish civil society and pro-democratic forces and the EU remain strong, as the EU is deeply committed to provide support to Turkish citizens and organisations that promote European norms and values;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas over the past year, EU- Turkey relations have on average remained stable, asdespite enhanced cooperation and dialogue on a number of issues have coexisted with, EU-Turkey relations have suffered regular conflicts; whereas this report reflects this situation by welcoming positive developments and pointing to further potential in the relationship, while signalling remaining significant problems, in particular as regards violations of international law, the rule of law and fundamental rights;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas bans on Pride events have constituted significant curtailment to the freedom of association and expression for LGTBI persons, justified by the ‘need to protect participants against terror threats’, ‘protection of public morals’, ‘social sensitivities’, the risk of these events ‘inciting hatred and enmity’ or to ‘prevent crimes being committed’; whereas these reasons constitute deliberate attempts at undermining international human rights obligations and reflect the need for progress on protection of LGBTI people, namely in the fields of freedom of peaceful assembly, association and expression;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas Turkey’s interference in European democracies through efforts towards the Turkish diaspora is clearly documented, inparticular via the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB); whereas the Turkish Authorities actively called the Turkish diaspora to support “political parties that were not enemy of Turkey”.
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Reiterates its concern about the persistent and growing distance between the EU and TurkeyTurkey’s government and EU values and standards, despite it being a candidate country, in terms of values and standards, and the continuing 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 accession process; considers that without clear and significant progress in this field, Parliament cannot envisage any resumptfirmly insists therefore that, in line with the Negotiating Framework from October 2005, the Commission should recommend formal suspension of accession negotiations with Turkey, which have effectively been at a standstill since 2018;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes, however, that there has been a slight improvement over the past year in overall EU-Turkey relations, which have on average remained stable, aswith enhanced cooperation and dialogue through the high-level dialogues on a number of issues, while haveing coexisted with regular conflicts; expresses its hope that this pattern of ‘conflictual cooperation’ can be overcome and replaced with a more sustained and genuine positive dynamic;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Reiterates its firm conviction that Turkey is a country of strategic relevance in political, economic and foreign policy terms, a partner that is key for the stability of the wider region, and an inescapable and vital ally with which the EU wishes to pursue the best possible relations, including within NATO; is deeply concerned about Turkey's current destabilising role in the wider region through its involvement in several conflicts; welcomes, in this view, the recent statements expressed at the highest level by the Turkish authorities about the recommitment of the Turkish Government to the EU path, but urges the Turkish authorities to put their words into action and demonstrate this commitment with specific facts and decisions;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Expresses its deep concern over the current economic situation in Turkey, which through soaring inflation and a constantly rising cost of living is pushing a high and increasing number of people into hardship and poverty; expresses concern over the direct interference by the Turkish president in Turkish monetary policy; Calls for financial institutions such as the ECB or the IMF to provide technical support, if desired by the Turkish authorities;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Insists that the crucial area of fundamental rights and freedoms, which is at the core of the accession process, cannot be disconnected and isolated from overall relations with the EU and stresses that for Parliament, it remains the main obstacle to further progress on any positive agenda that could be offered to Turkey; considers that the adoption on March 2021 of an Action Plan on Human Rights shows a willingness to improve the overall situation of fundamental rights in Turkey; notes nevertheless that the commitment of the government will be measured by the extent of its implementation and the reforms undertaken to ensure its application to all citizens without discrimination;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Insists that the crucial area of fundamental rights and freedoms, which is at the core of the accession process, cannot be disconnected and isolated from overall relations with the EU and stresses that for Parliament, it remains one of the main obstacles to further progress on any positive agenda that could be offered to Turkey;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Reiterates its strong condemnation of Turkey’s withdrawal, by presidential decree, from the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention) and expresses deep concern about the persistence of violences against women in Turkey;
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Reiterates its strong condemnation and regret of Turkey’s withdrawal, by presidential decree, from the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention);
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes the importance of upholding the freedom of assembly in Turkey, which is enshrined in its constitution; but increasingly under pressure, in particular for certain opposition parties;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Reiterates its serious concern about the disproportionate and arbitrary measures curtailing freedom of expression; welcomes the further decrease in the number of journalists in prison in Turkeycondemns the high number of imprisoned journalists, media employees as well as social media users; notes with deep concern the increasing restrictions and censorship imposed on social media platforms;
Amendment 246 #
10. Asserts thatCondemns the continued prosecution, censorship and harassment of journalists and independent media remains an issue of concerin Turkey; is concerned as well by the targeting of journalists and opponents in the European Union, as was the case of Turkish journalist Erk Acarer in Berlin;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Is worried by the increasing number of fake news in Turkish social media environment; is also worried by the spread of state propaganda, in particular from the state-run news agency Anadolu;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Takes note of the adoption of the fourth and fifth judicial packages in Turkey during 2021; asserts, however, that the current problems stem not only from problematic legislation, but are often caused by a failure to implement existing adequate provisions; remains concerned about the continuing erosion of the rule of law and judicial independence in Turkey;
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Regrets the sustained pressurelegal and administrative pressure by the Turkish government on civil society and, human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, academics, ethnic and religious minorities and numerous Turkish citizens and the continuously shrinking space to operate freely in Turkey;
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Continues to urge the Turkish Government to release Osman Kavala after more than four years of unlawful and illegitimate detention; reiterates its call on the Turkish authorities to abide by the final judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in this case;
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Expresses deep concern about the state-sponsored deterioration in the human rights situation for LGBTI people, in particular with regard to physical attackhate crimes – especially against transgender persons –, the protracted bans on Pride marches across the country, restrictions on the freedoms of assembly, association and expression, and censorship in the media; and online; recalls the need to adopt measures to ensure all citizens can enjoy these freedom safely; calls on authorities to align its criminal legislation concerning homophobic and transphobic hate crime with ECRI’s General Policy Recommendation 7,1aas requested by ECRI in its 2019 conclusions1b; urges authorities to lift the protracted bans on Pride events; _________________ 1a ECRI General Policy Recommendation No. 7 on National Legislation to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, accessible at https://rm.coe.int/ecri- general-policy-recommendation-no-7- revised-on-national-legislatio/16808b5aae 1b ECRI country monitoring conclusions on Turkey, accessible at https://rm.coe.int/interim-follow-up- conclusions-on-turkey-5th-monitoring- cycle-/168094ce03
Amendment 301 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Expresses deep concern about the deterioration in the human rights situation for LGBTI people, in particular with regard to physical attacks – especially against transgender persons – the protracted bans on Pride marches across the country, restrictions on the freedoms of assembly, association and expression, and censorship in the media and urges the Turkish government to protect their equal and legal rights;
Amendment 303 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Notes with concern the increasing hate speech and smear campaigns by high-ranking central government and public officials against LGBTI persons; considers that this constitutes a worrying trend and a powerful enabler of increased harassment, discrimination and potential violence; recalls that Turkey’s obligations under the ECHR entail a responsibility to combat discrimination and violence against LGBTI persons and urges authorities to deliver on their commitments;
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15 b. Highlights the pattern of use of judicial proceedings to silence human rights defenders, NGOs and lawyers and to curtail activism, in particular LGBTI rights defenders;1a notes the examples of the criminal investigations against the Istanbul, Ankara and Diyarbakir bar associations and the case of the participants in the 2019 METU Pride; welcomes the acquittal of the latter; calls on Turkey to drop all charges against peaceful participants of LGBTI events; _________________ 1a Letter of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe of 17 June 2021 concerning the human rights of LGBTI people, accessible at https://rm.coe.int/letter-to-mr-suleyman- soylu-minister-of-interior-and-mr- abdulhamit-gul/1680a2e486
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 c (new)
Paragraph 15 c (new)
Amendment 312 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Is deeply concerned about the constant attacks, imprisonment of members of the opposition and pressure on the opposition parties, particularly the HDP and the Republican People’s Party (CHP), which undermine the proper functioning of the democratic system; stresses that democracy presupposes an environment in which political parties, civil society and the media can function without threats or arbitrary restrictions;
Amendment 321 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Notes with great concern that the HDP, its elected mayors and its party organisations have been specifically and continuously targeted by the Turkish authorities, leading to a situation where over 4 000 HDP members are currently in prison; continues to strongly condemn the continued detention since November 2016 of Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, the former co-chairs of the HDP;
Amendment 339 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Recognises that Turkey has legitimate security concerns and the right to fight terrorism; stresses, nevertheless, that this must be done with full respect for the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms; reiterates its firm and unambiguous condemnation of the violent terrorist attacks by ISIS and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been on the EU list of terrorist organisations since 2002;
Amendment 350 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls on Turkey to abide by a zero- tolerance policy on torture and to duly investigate persistent and credible reports of torture, ill-treatment and inhumane or degrading treatment in detention, interrogation or custody, in order to put an end to impunity and hold those responsible to account;
Amendment 381 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Commends the efforts made by Turkey to continue hosting the largest refugee population in the world of almost 4 million registered refugees; welcomes, in this regard, the continued provision of EU funding for refugees and host communities in Turkey, and expresses its commitment to sustain this support in the future; recognizes the migratory pressure Turkey is facing, however firmly objects to any instrumentalisation of migrants by the Turkish government;
Amendment 415 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Acknowledges that Turkey can pursue its own foreign policy in line with its interests and goals, but expects this policy to be defended through diplomacy and dialogue based on international law and, as a candidate country, to be increasingly aligned with that of the EU; deplores that Turkey's foreign policy alignment rate with EU foreign policy is a meagre 14%; believes that increased EU- Turkey cooperation can be achieved on multiple foreign policy areas such as on Ukraine and Afghanistan;
Amendment 428 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22 a. Reaffirms its call expressed in its resolution of 15 April 2015 and once again encourages Turkey’s government to recognise the Armenian Genocide, thus paving the way for a genuine reconciliation between the Turkish and Armenian peoples; welcomes, in this regard, the recent intensified diplomatic exchanges and growing interaction between the Turkish and Armenian governments;
Amendment 453 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23 a. Calls on Turkey to remain committed to the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Libya under the auspices of the UN, to fully adhere to the arms embargo imposed by the UN Security Council and to not obstruct EU and NATO missions mandated to enforce the UN arms embargo on Libya;
Amendment 470 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Deplores the fact that the unresolved conflict in Cyprus is a major obstacle to EU-Turkey relations; reaffirms its view that the only sustainable solution to the Cyprus issue is that of a fair, comprehensive and viable settlement on the basis of a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with a single international legal personality and political equality, in accordance with international law and on the basis of respect for the principles on which the Union is founded; deeply regrets that Turkey’s government has abandoned this UN framework by unilaterally opening up the town of Varosha, in violation of UNSC resolutions;
Amendment 471 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Deplores the factRecalls that the unresolved conflict in Cyprus is a major obstacle to EU-Turkey relations; strongly reaffirms its view that the only sustainable solution to the Cyprus issue is that of a fair, comprehensive and viable settlement on the basis of a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with a single international legal personality and political equality, in accordance with international law and on the basis of respect for the principles on which the Union is founded; deeply regorets that Turkey has abandoned this UN framework;
Amendment 482 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Recognizes the importance of a well-functioning NATO; deplores in this regard Turkey’s unilateral actions undermining NATO by purchasing Russian S-400 missiles; calls on the Turkish government to overcome these tensions by halting actions that go against the collective interests of the alliance;
Amendment 496 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24 b. Calls on the EEAS StratCom divisions to document suspicions of Turkish disinformation directed at the EU, particularly in the Balkans and the MENA region and to report its findings to the European Parliament;
Amendment 503 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 c (new)
Paragraph 24 c (new)
24 c. Is concerned by the attempts of the Turkish Government to influence members of the Turkish diaspora in the EU, in particular via the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), in order to interfere with EU democratic processes;
Amendment 506 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 d (new)
Paragraph 24 d (new)
Amendment 513 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Insists that democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights should remain at the heart of EU-Turkey relations under any framework; reaffirms its support for kconcludes that Turkey has drifted unbridgeably far away from meepting the accession process and its value-based approach as the main frameworkCopenhagen criteria, with no positive change foreseen on the short and/or midterm; calls therefore for the accession negotiations with Turkey to be formally suspended; notes however, that an EU membership perspective for EU-Turkey relations, as it is still the most powerful tool to exercise normative pressure and sustain the democratic and pro-European aspirations of Turkish society; nevertheless remains open to the possibility of both sides reviewing, in a realistic manner, the appropriateness of this framework and its ability to function, or, if necessary, exploring other possible models for future relationwill remain possible, as laid down in Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union; calls instead for the creation of new momentum and structures to break the current deadlock and to move forward towards a closer, more dynamic and strategic, unique partnership that works beneficially for both parties by modernizing and enhancing the current Association Agreement as the main framework, based on specific benchmarks related to good neighbourly relations and respect for democratic principles, rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms;
Amendment 536 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25 a. Calls on the Commission for full transparency and accuracy in the allocation of funds under the successor of the FRT and requests that it ensures that these funds are primarily given directly to the refugees and host communities and are managed by organisations that guarantee accountability and transparency;
Amendment 551 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Notes that the varying priorities of the EU institutions set out in the existing frameworks governing EU-Turkey relations make it very difficult to find an effective way to move forward; deplores the lack of a long-term strategy, a coherent policy and consistent leadership towards Turkey in the EU and among all its institutions; calls on the EEAS to intensify transatlantic dialogue and cooperation with the Biden administration as regards to its relations with Turkey;
Amendment 558 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27 a. Welcomes the meeting in March 2022 of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee and expresses in this regard the hope that the continued functioning of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee shall be restored;
Amendment 561 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27 b. Calls for the mutually beneficial modernisation of the Customs Union, accompanied with an effective and efficient dispute settlement mechanism;