AKEL ON THE VOTE ON TURKEY’S PROGRESS REPORT RESOLUTION IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
AKEL C.C. Press Spokesman Georgios Loucaides
AKEL, in the recent meetings the General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL Andros Kyprianou had in the European Parliament, had put forth the position that a number of amendments which were tabled in the European Parliament’s resolution on Turkey’s Progress Report were proposals leading to partition; amendments that violate the resolutions and decisions of the Security Council of the United Nations for a reunified and free Cyprus.
Consequently, AKEL welcomes the rejection of the amendment of the Greens by the Plenary of the European Parliament for direct trade (Note: with the areas under the illegal occupation of the Turkish troops). The same applies to the rejection of the amendments which the Greens and the Liberals of ALDE had tabled which called on the European Parliament to include two Turkish Cypriot observers in this institutional body. At the same time, the amendment of the Socialists and Democrats Group on the same subject was withdrawn.
We consider such proposals only serve Turkey’s expansionist policy and not the real interests of both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, of the Cypriot people as a whole, given that they are guided by separatist logic. We warn however at the same time that these issues will remain on the table and that our own side must tackle them with determination.
Very negative is the fact that despite our efforts to improve it, the paragraph of the resolution referring to the essence of the Cyprus problem remains. This paragraph is not only weal, but also serves the long-standing positions of the Turkish side. More specifically, through this paragraph the goal is to cover up the stand of Eroglou at the talks, who abandoned the discussion on the substance of the Cyprus problem aiming towards the comprehensive solution of the Cyprus problem by shifting the main focus to a discussion on Confidence Building Measures and day-to-day issues.
Very negative is the fact that despite our amendments, the opening of the chapters on Energy, as well as chapters 23 (Justice Sector and fundamental rights) and 24 (Justice, freedom and security) in Turkey’s negotiating course were included in the text, at the same time when the latter is violating decisions of the Council of the European Union concerning Cyprus.
AKEL points out that both of the amendments tabled by the AKEL MEP´s T. Hadjigeorgiou and K. Triantafyllides, together with the Group of the European United Left-Nordic Green Left, were approved by the body. We are referring to Turkey’s obligation to implement the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and to the condemnation of Turkey’s stand not to recognise the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Taking into account the Report as a whole, the particularly negative points with regards the essence of the Cyprus problem and the opening of the aforementioned chapters, as well as the rejection of the amendments concerning, inter alia, the state of workers and labour rights in Turkey, AKEL voted AGAINST the resolution of the European Parliament.
