On Oct 25, 11:03 pm, "Agamemnon" <agamem...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
http://www.cyprusweekly.com.cy/default.aspx?FrontPageNewsID=304_7
>
> Euro Parliament backs Turkish pull out
>
> From Angelos Marcopoulos, in Strasbourg
>
> MEMBERS of the European Parliament came out massively in
favour
> of the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus in a debate this week
ahead
> of the November 6 report by the European Commission into Turkey's
membership
> bid progress.
>
> The MEPs called for a solution based on Human Rights and
Rule of
> Law, and beefed up their condemnation of Turkish violations of freedom
of
> expression, giving stronger warnings to Turkey that accession was not
> guaranteed.
>
> They called for deeper reforms.
>
> "We (the EU Parliament) have a clear position on Cyprus",
> replied EU Rapporteur on Turkey, Ria Oomens-Ruijten after the vote in
> Strasbourg.
>
> She was referring to the EU Parliament's Resolution which
was
> adopted with a large majority in Strasbourg, and firmly states that "the
> withdrawal of Turkish troops would facilitate the negotiation of a
> settlement."
>
> Welcomes
>
> The EU Parliament's resolution on Turkey "regrets that no
> substantial progress has been made in reaching a comprehensive
settlement of
> the Cyprus question" and reiterates its call on both parties to adopt a
> constructive attitude towards a comprehensive settlement within the UN
> Framework, based on the principles upon which EU is founded."
>
> It also "welcomes the establishment of an instrument for
> financial support to encourage the Economic Developments of the Turkish
> Cypriot Community", calling on the (EU) Commission to report
specifically on
> the implementation and effectiveness of that instrument.
>
> Oomens-Rujtens said that her next report on Turkey, would
> contain more details.
>
> The vice-President of EU Parliament's Socialist Group,
Austrian
> MEP Johannes Swoboda, who recently visited Ankara, said: "We shall be
more
> critical in the 2008 full report."
>
> MEPs strengthened warnings to Turkey that accession is not
> guaranteed in advance, but largely depends on the fulfilment of certain
> conditions, while also beefing up their condemnation of Turkish State's
> blatant violations of freedom of expression.
>
> Opened
>
> An amendment by tabled by French MEP Jacques Toubon referred
to
> financial, institutional, political and other parameters which might put
at
> risk Turkey's controversial EU bid, if not addressed.
>
> Speaking on behalf of the EuroLeft Group in the EU
Parliament,
> Cyprus's MEP Kyriakos Triantafyllides, warned Turkey that "for its
accession
> process to continue without problems, Turkey must comply with its EU
> Obligations, as all other candidate countries did."
>
> EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn said negotiations in
two
> new policy areas could be opened ''in the coming weeks.''
>
> But French Minister for European affairs, Jean-Pierre
Jouyet,
> warned earlier in Strasbourg, that France and other EU Countries,
including
> Cyprus, would oppose any opening of negotiation chapters during the
coming
> months.
>
> No more chapters for Turkey until 2008 - French Minister
>
> From Angelos Marcopoulos
>
> in Strasbourg
>
> THE French Minister in charge of EU affairs said this week
that
> the Turkey-EU negotiations process has been halted until at least the
> beginning of 2008.
>
> No further chapters will open until the beginning of next
year,
> said Jean-Pierre Jouyet.
>
> In a reply to The Cyprus Weekly question on the fact that
Turkey
> has done nothing on its commitments to allow Cyprus's ships and aircraft
> access to Turkish ports and airports, Jouyet, was adamant.
>
> "There must be no more discrimination by Turkey on aircraft
or
> ships, or on other aspects.
>
> "We must see how (Turkey) deals with the Ankara Protocol".
>
> "For us, Cyprus remains one state, one of the 27 EU Member
> States, and must be treated as such. We are very firm on this point," he
> stressed.
>
> France will take over the EU Presidency in 2008.
>
> He agreed that the main commitment undertaken by Turkey when
the
> EU decided to open negotiations was to stop its discrimination against
> Cyprus.
>
> Asked if this situation would be allowed to continue, the
French
> minister announced that this was one of the reasons why France, Cyprus
and
> other EU Countries would be taking measures regarding Turkey during the
> coming months, he said: "That's why it's difficult to open any more
chapters
> until the end of this year."
>
> Difficult
>
> The French Minister of EU affairs confirmed that France and
> Cyprus and other EU countries would not accept, under these conditions,
more
> negotiation chapters to be opened with Turkey until the beginning of
2008.
>
> He added: "It's not only France, but also other EU
countries,
> there is also the Cyprus problem, and a number of chapters have been
already
> frozen for that." The upcoming Presidential elections in Cyprus also
meant
> it would be difficult to open new chapters, he said. In any case, "there
> will be no opening of any negotiation Chapter with Turkey from now until
the
> end of December."
>
> Commenting EU Parliament's and France's current appraisal of
> Turkey, Minister Jouyet, said: "During the recent weeks, two more
elements
> have been added which are not in favour of Turkey, and do not go in the
> right direction :
>
> He pointed to the Turkish reaction to the US Congressional
> committee's call to recognise the Armenian genocide and its threats to
> invade Northern Iraq.
>
> "The EU Council will determine its position on Turkey at the
> December EU Summit, in relation with the EU Commission's Report," the
French
> Minister announced. The EU Parliament's rapporteur on Turkey, Ria
> Oomens-Ruisjten said this week she would deal with the Cyprus issue in
her
> report to be presnted at the start of 2008:
>
> "There has to be a move by Turkey on Cyprus, I hope so. But
> probably after the Elections in Cyprus", she said.
>
> "I intend to deal in more detail about Cyprus, human rights
and
> other issues in my Full Report at the beginning of 2008, which will
focus on
> the way Turkey will fulfill the conditions that will be set out by the
EU
> Commission's Annual Progress Report in November," she warned.
>
> Ledra Street plan backed
>
> STRASBOURG reacted favourably to President Papadopoulos's
plan
> to reopen the Ledra Street crossing under UN control.
>
> The EU Parliament's rapporteur on Turkey Ria
Ooomens-Ruijtens,
> said "yes. I really hope so," to a Cyprus Weekly question if she thought
it
> would be good to realise Papadopoulos's proposal.
>
> CoE Assembly President Rene Van Der Linden said that if
anyone
> had any objections "they should hear what (former German Chancellor)
Helmut
> Kohl just said, here, on Berlin's re-unification."
>
> The CoE's top politician was referring to an emotional
speech
> given in the EU Parliament by the former German Chancellor, generally
> considered as the father of Germany's re-unification.
>
> EU President-in-office, the Portuguese Minister for European
> affairs, Manuel Lobo-Antunes, went beyond simple comments, to offer the
EU's
> "assistance" to UN in the matter.
>
> "On Cyprus, the UN is the responsible entity for this
problem,"
> Antunes agreed.
>
> "If the UN takes the view that this initiative can be a good
> one, certainly we should welcome it."
>
> "We should see if and how we can assist the UN, and also
help it
> to find a lasting solution.
gay argyrou
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