EP committee welcomes Turkey's reform efforts

The report, prepared by the Dutch MP Ria Oomen-Ruijten, "Welcomed the commitment of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan that 2008 is going to be the year of reforms," but said further delays of the reforms "will seriously affect the pace of negotiations."

The Foreign Affairs Committee adopted Turkey's 2007 Progress Report with 53 votes in favor of and to two against. The report will be put to a final vote at the general assembly of the parliament in May.   Â

More than 250 amendments to the report were proposed ahead of the vote. In one of the amendments, the European Parliament expressed its concerns over the closure case against the ruling AKP and expectations that the Turkish Constitutional Court act in accordance with the Venice Commission guidelines on the prohibition of political parties.

Another proposal, however, urged the Turkish government to respect pluralism, secularism and democracy and to reach a compromise with political parties while passing the reforms.

The other important highlights of the report include the following:            Â

-- It "considered the amendment on Article 301 of the Penal Code sent by the government to the parliament as merely a first step towards a fundamental reform of this article as well as other articles" and "urged the government and the parliament to carry out this reform without delay so that none of these articles can be used for arbitrary restriction of freedom of expression."
 
-- The report "welcomed the fact that in 2007 democracy prevailed over attempts by the military to interfere in the political process," and encouraged the government to "make further systematic efforts to ensure that the democratically elected political leadership bears full responsibility for formulation of domestic, foreign and security policy" and that "the armed forces fully respect this responsibility by fully and unambiguously acknowledging civilian control."

-- The report urged the Turkish government to launch "a political initiative favoring a lasting settlement of the Kurdish issue," including a "comprehensive master plan to boost the socio-economic and cultural development of the south-east of Turkey."Â

-- It also called for "'real possibilities to learn Kurdish within the public and private schooling system" and its use in broadcasting, public life and public services.Â

-- While considering that a possible ban of the DTP would be "counterproductive to a political solution," and deploring the "many court cases brought against elected mayors and other politicians for using the Kurdish language," as well as the recent conviction of Leyla Zana, the report "called upon the DTP party, its members of parliament and mayors to distance themselves clearly from the PKK," and called on the PKK to declare and respect an immediate ceasefire.

-- In light of the drafting of a new constitution, the committee stressed that it should "ensure gender equality, avoid the use of vague criteria such as general morality, refrain from perceiving women primarily as family or community members and reaffirm women's human rights."

-- It also noted "the disappointment and concern of part of the population that the lifting of the ban on wearing headscarves in universities was not part of a broader package of reforms based on a wide ranging consultation of civil society."