18 Amendments of Geoffrey VAN ORDEN related to 2013/2945(RSP)
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15
Citation 15
– having regard to the fact that Turkey, for the eighth consecutive year, has still not implemented the provisions stemming from the EC-Turkey Association Agreement and the Additional Protocol thereto, as the EU for its part has failed to lift the isolation of Northern Cyprus as agreed by the EU Council on 26 April 2004,
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses the importance of achieving a common understanding between Turkey and the EU on the relevance for both the EU and Turkey of the readmission agreement and the roadmap leading to visa liberalisation; recalls that Turkey is one of the key transit countries for irregular migration to the EU and therefore calls on Turkey to sign and implement the readmission agreement without further delay; calls on the Commission in parallel to take steps towards visa liberalisation and stresses the clear benefits of facilitating access to the EU for business people, academics, students and representatives of civil society; recognises that it is a matter for Member State governments, through the transitional arrangements in the Accession Treaty and revision as necessary of the EU Treaties, to take decisions relating to migration issues such as restrictions on freedom of movement, recognising that this issue has become a matter of great concern in many Member States;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Points to the crucial role of a system of checks and balances for any modern democratic State and the fundamental role that the Turkish Grand National Assembly must play at the centre of Turkey’s political system in providing a framework for dialogue and consensus-building across the political spectrum; expresses concern about political polarisation and the lack of readiness on the part of government and opposition to work towards consensus on key reforms; urges all political actors, the government and the opposition to work together to enhance a pluralistic vision in State institutions and to promote the modernisation and democratisation of the State and society; calls on the political majority to actively involve the minority in the deliberation process on relevant reformsurges all political actors to promote the modernisation and democratisation of the State and society and take into consideration, whenever possible, their interests and views in an inclusive mannerof all elements of the population, including minorities;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses the urgent need for further progress in implementing the 2010 constitutional amendments, in particular the adoption of laws on the protection of personal data and military justice, and of laws introducing affirmative-action measures to promote gender equality;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Expresses concerns at the very limited coverage of the Gezi Park events by Turkish media and the dismissal of journalists who criticised the Government’s reactions to such events; recalls that freedom of expression and media pluralism are at the heart of European values and that an independent press is crucial to a democratic society; reiterates once again its concern at the fact that most media are owned by and concentrated in, large conglomerates with a wide range of business interests and points out to the worryingexpresses concern at the widespread phenomenon of self-censorship by media owners and journalists; expresses concern at the particularly high number of journalists currently in pre-trial detention and calls on Turkey’s judicial authorities to review and address these cases as soon as possible;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes the initiatives taken by the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors to promote the training of a large number of judges and prosecutors in the field of human rights and to promote a thorough, operational understanding of the ECtHR case law; encourages the Government to adopt the Human Rights Action Plan based on the ECtHR case law and aimed at addressing issues raised in judgements of the Court where Turkey was found to have violated ECHR provisions, notwithstanding the need for review of the ECHR itself; encourages the Government to continue with ambitious judicial reforms built on the need to advance the defence and the promotion of fundamental rights; stresses, in this regard, the need to reform the anti-terror law as a matter of priority;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Commends the decision by the Assembly of Foundations to return the lands of the historic Mor Gabriel Monastery to the Syriac community in Turkey, in compliance with the pledge taken by the Government in the Democratisation package; stresses the importance to continue the process of reform in the area of freedom of thought, conscience and religion by enabling religious communities to obtain legal personality, by eliminating all restrictions on the training, appointment and succession of clergy, by complying with the relevant judgments of the ECtHR and the recommendations of the Venice Commission and by eliminating all forms ofinappropriate discrimination or barriers based on religion; notes that progress has been particularly slow in extending the rights of the Alevi minority; underlines the importance of lifting all obstacles to a speedy reopening of the Halki Seminary;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Strongly supports the Government’s initiatives to strive for a settlement of the Kurdish problem on the basput an end to the activities of the PKK terrorist of negotiations with the PKKrganisation; encourages the Government to devise the reforms directed atmake further progress in promoting the social, cultural and economic rights of the Kurdish communityinterests of people of Kurdish origin on the basis of adequate consultation of relevant stakeholders and the oppositionall interested parties; calls on the opposition to actively support the negotiations and the reforms as an important step for the benefit of Turkish society at large; calls on the Turkish authorities to cooperate closely withand the European Commission to cooperate closely to assess which programmes under IPA could be used to promote sustainable development in the South East in the framework of negotiations on Chapter 22;
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Is of the opinion that social dialogue and involvement of social partners are vitaland economic interest groups is important for the development of a prosperous society; Underlines the importance of further progress in the areas of social policy and employment, in particular to remove all obstacles to the effective functioning of trade unions, to establish a national employment strategy, in accordance with the interests of the economy and wider society, to address undeclared work, widen the coverage of social protection mechanisms, and increase employment rates among women and people with disabilities;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Reiterates its strong support for the reunification of Cyprus, based on a fair and viable settlement for, recognising the concerns and interests of both communities; asks Turkey and Greece to actively support the negotiations aimed at a fair, comprehensive and viable settlement under the auspices of the UN Secretary- General and in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions; as confidence- building measures, calls on Turkey to begin withdrawing its forces from Cyprus and to make progress on transferring the sealed-off area of Famagusta to the UN in accordance with UNSC Resolution 550 (1984);, and calls on the Republic of Cyprus for its part to open the port of Famagusta, under EU customs supervision, and to enable Ercan airport to operate as an international airport with its codes listed and recognised by IATA and ICAO, in order to promote a positive climate for the successful solution of the ongoing reunification negotiations, and to allow adoption of the Direct Trade Regulation to enable Turkish Cypriots to trade directly in a legal manner that is acceptable to all; takes note of the proposals by the Government of Cyprus to address some of the above issues;
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Welcomes Turkey’s decision to grant the Committee on Missing Persons access to a fenced military area in the northern part of Cyprus and encourages Turkeyboth sides to allow the Committee to access relevant archives and military zones for exhumation; calls for special consideration for the work done by the Committee on Missing Persons;
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Stresses the importance of a coherent and comprehensive security approach in the Eastern Mediterranean, and calls on Turkey to allow political dialogue between the EU and NATO by lifting its veto on EU-which in itself would enable enhancement of NATO-EU cooperation including Cyprus, and calls, in parallel, on the Republic of Cyprus to lift its veto on Turkey’s participation in the European Defence Agency, particularly in the area of civilian crisis management;
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. In furtherance of the principles of democracy, and in accordance with articles 10.2 and 14.2 of TEU, calls for the representation of both communities in Cyprus in the European Parliament, with the proviso that, until a comprehensive settlement is reached, Turkish Cypriots be represented by observers, on a similar basis to the procedure used in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and that this be budget neutral;
Amendment 294 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
23b. Under UN auspices, calls on the EU, particularly under the Greek Presidency, the Governments of Turkey and Greece and of the Republic of Cyprus and of Northern Cyprus to make a concerted effort towards the resolution of the Cyprus problem, bearing in mind that non-settlement of this issue has a fundamental effect on EU-Turkey relations;
Amendment 300 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Deplores Turkey’s refusalIn return for confidence-building measures such as those in paragraph 20 above (as amended) urges Turkey to fulfil its obligation of full, non-discriminatory implementation of the Additional Protocol to the EC-Turkey Association Agreement towards all Member States; recalls that this refusal continues to, as this would have a profound effect on the negotiation process;
Amendment 325 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Believes that, in view of Turkey’s strategic role as an energy hub, considernegotiations should be given to the value of opening negotiationsopened on Chapter 15 on energy as a priority; underlines that energy and climate efficiency priorities need to be addressed;
Amendment 332 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Welcomes Turkey’s commitment to the provision of humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees; notes that a large number of foreign fighters in Syria gain access to Syria via Turkey and asks Turkey to increase border patrols, restrict the entry of such fighters and arm flows to groups credibly found to be implicated in systematic human rights violations; believes that the EU and Turkey, Turkey, the UK, France and the US, along with other key international partners, should actively seek to develop a joint strategic vision to promote a political solution in Syria and support political and economic stability in the region, with particular reference to Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq;