European Parliament resolution on Turkey
European Parliament resolution of 13 June 2013 on the situation in
Turkey (2013/2664(RSP))
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions,
in particular that of 18 April 2013 on the 2012 progress report on Turkey[1],
– having
regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,
– having
regard to the Negotiating Framework for Turkey of 3 October 2005,
– having
regard to Council Decision 2008/157/EC of 18 February 2008 on the principles,
priorities and conditions contained in the Accession Partnership with the
Republic of Turkey[2] (‘the
Accession Partnership’), as well as to the previous Council decisions on the
Accession Partnership of 2001, 2003 and 2006,
– having
regard to Rule 110(2) and (4) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas
in the early hours of Friday, 31 May 2013 the Turkish police used excessive
violence in an effort to disperse a group of demonstrators, who had been
protesting for weeks against the planned felling of trees for a new
construction project in Istanbul’s Gezi Park in the Taksim Square area;
B. whereas
the heavy-handed police intervention led to clashes with the protesters, which
quickly spread to other cities in Turkey, and whereas these clashes led to four
deaths and over a thousand wounded, mass arrests and severe damage to private
and public property; whereas tear-gas was used extensively, with canisters
being fired directly at protesters, causing serious injuries;
C. whereas
the demonstrations have gained support among different strata of Turkish
society; whereas men and women participated in equal measure in the
demonstrations;
D. whereas
the harsh condemnation by the Turkish Government seems to have been counter‑productive;
E.
whereas Article 34 of the Turkish Constitution guarantees the right to organise
peaceful, unarmed meetings and demonstrations without permission; whereas
Article 26 guarantees freedom of expression, and Articles 27 and 28 guarantee ‘freedom
of expression’ and ‘unhindered dissemination of thought’;
F. whereas
the protests are also linked to concerns in some sectors of Turkish society
over a series of recent decisions and legislative acts on issues such as
restrictions on the sale of alcohol and educational reforms;
G. whereas
the protesters are increasingly voicing concerns over a perceived lack of
representation of minority voices, authoritarian governance and lack of the
rule of law and of good governance, and of fair trial and due process in
Turkey;
H. whereas
the mainstream Turkish media remained silent regarding the demonstrations, and
Twitter users have been arrested;
I. whereas
Turkey, as a candidate for EU accession, has the obligation to respect and
promote democracy and to reinforce democratic and human rights and freedoms;
J. whereas
Commissioner Füle and HR/VP Catherine Ashton have reacted to these events;
K. whereas
freedom of assembly, freedom of expression (including through social media both
online and offline) and freedom of the press are fundamental principles of the
EU;
1. Expresses
its sincere condolences to the families of the protesters and of the police
officer who lost their lives, and wishes the numerous wounded a rapid recovery;
2. Expresses
its deep concern at the disproportionate and excessive use of force by the
Turkish police in its response to the peaceful and legitimate protests in
Istanbul’s Gezi Park, and calls on the Turkish authorities to thoroughly
investigate the police violence, to bring those responsible to justice and to
offer compensation to the victims; warns the Turkish Government against taking
harsh measures against the peaceful protesters, and urges the Prime Minister to
take a unifying and conciliatory position so as to avoid any further
escalation;
3 Deplores
the fact that, despite the announcement by the Turkish authorities that they
would hold talks with some of the protest leaders, the police violence in and
around Taksim Square is continuing, thus effectively dampening prospects for
talks between the government and protesters;
4. Calls
on the Turkish authorities to guarantee and respect the rights of all citizens
to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and peaceful protest; calls for the
immediate release of all peaceful protestors taken into custody and currently
detained; demands
that all detainees have unrestricted access to lawyers of their choice; asks for information on the exact numbers of detainees and
injured;
5. Deplores
the reactions of the Turkish Government and of Prime Minister Erdoğan, whose
unwillingness to take steps towards reconciliation, to apologise or to
understand the reactions of a segment of the Turkish population have only
contributed to further polarisation;
6. Welcomes
the moderate response by President Gül and the apologies to the injured
protesters expressed by Deputy Prime Minister Arinç, as well as their dialogue
with the Taksim platform and political opposition figures to defuse tensions;
underlines the importance of dialogue between the Turkish Government and
peaceful protesters;
7. Reminds
Turkey that in an inclusive, pluralist democracy all citizens should feel
represented and that the majority has a responsibility to include the
opposition and civil society in the decision-making process; also reminds the
opposition parties of their responsibility to do their part to create a
democratic political culture with respect for diverse views and opinions;
8. Is
concerned about the ongoing confrontation between the political parties, 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 political plurality in state
institutions and to promote the modernisation and democratisation of the state
and society;
9. Points
to the crucial role of a system of checks and balances in the governance of a
modern democratic state, which should be reflected in the ongoing
constitutional process, and which must be based on the principle of separation
of powers, with balance between the executive, legislative and judicial
functions, on respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms – in particular
freedom of expression and freedom of the press – and on a participatory
political culture that truly reflects the plurality of a democratic society;
believes that, in itself, the organisation of peaceful and legitimate protests
testifies to the vibrancy of Turkish civil society; reminds Turkey of the
importance of continuing efforts to further improve its democratic
institutions, the rule of law and the observance of fundamental freedoms;
10. Stresses
the need for continued intensive training of the police force and the judiciary
both in their formal education and during their active careers concerning the
implementation of the Istanbul Protocol (a set of international guidelines
against torture and ill-treatment) and also on the primacy of individual rights
and liberties;
11. Calls
on local and national authorities in Turkey to launch public consultations for
all urban and regional development plans; recalls the need to balance economic
growth with social, environmental, cultural and historical factors; calls for
all relevant projects in Turkey to undergo environmental impact assessment,
without exception;
12. Observes
that the unprecedented wave of protests also reflects growing dissatisfaction
in parts of the Turkish population concerning lifestyle regulation; reiterates
that in a democratic polity governments must promote tolerance and ensure
freedom of religion and belief for all citizens; calls on the government to
respect the plurality and richness of Turkish society and to protect secular
lifestyles;
13. Warns
that the police crackdown undermines the credibility of Turkey’s regional role
as a champion of democratic change in the southern neighbourhood;
14. Recalls
that freedom of expression and media pluralism are at the heart of European
values and that a truly democratic, free and pluralist society requires true
freedom of expression; recalls that freedom of expression is applicable not
only to information or ideas that are favourably received or regarded as
inoffensive, but also, in accordance with the European Convention on Human
Rights, to those that offend, shock or disturb the state or any section of the
population;
15. Is concerned
about the deterioration in freedom of the press and about certain acts of
censorship and growing self-censorship within the Turkish media, including on
the internet; calls on the Turkish Government to uphold the principle of press
freedom; stresses that an independent press is crucial to a democratic society,
and points in this context to the essential role of the judiciary in protecting
and enhancing press freedom, thereby guaranteeing public space for free and
inclusive debate; is concerned at the large number of journalists in prison and
the numerous ongoing trials of journalists; calls for the release of social
media activists; views as deeply regrettable the decision of RTUK (the Radio
and Television Supreme Council) to punish the TV channels that have covered the
Gezi Park events since the beginning for ‘harming the physical, moral and
mental development of children and young people’;
16. Reiterates
its concern at the fact that most media are owned by, and concentrated in,
large conglomerates with a wide range of business interests; reiterates its
call for the adoption of a new media law addressing, inter alia, the issues of
independence, ownership and administrative control;
17. Instructs its President to forward this
resolution to the Council, the Commission, the High Representative of the Union
for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the Commission, the
Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, the President of the European Court
of Human Rights, the governments and parliaments of the Member States and the
Government and Parliament of the Republic of Turkey.
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