Intervention of AKEL MEP Giorgos Georgiou on behalf of the Left Group GUE/NGL on the 2021 Report on Turkey

 

6 June 2022, Strasbourg, European Parliament plenary session

Is this how we “read” history?

Tell the truth, for once…

I don’t know if there has ever been any light at the end of the tunnel of Euro-Turkish relations.

Some Europeans, straining themselves, pretend to see some light…

They position Turkey, in the midst of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, on the right side of history.

These are shameful things.

Is this how we “read” history?

For a Turkey that:

– did in Cyprus, 48 years ago, what Russia did in Ukraine

– continues to illegally occupy European territory

– acts in a revisionist way against Greece

– invades neighbouring countries

– behaves as a pirate in the Eastern Mediterranean

– violates the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus

– colonizes Famagusta

– nullifies the Resolutions of the UN and European Parliament

Do you want to hear some more?

– does not respect the resolutions of the Council of Europe

– imprisons Kavala, Demirtas and thousands of other Turkish citizens

– violates the rule of law and fundamental freedoms in the country

– tramples on the will of the Turkish Cypriots

– instrumentalises the migration issue and threatens Europe

– Turkey is now even blackmailing NATO

And you position Turkey on the right side of history…

You continue to provide Turkey with weapons, piles of money and you promise her rewards in exchange…

How are you going to upgrade Turkey’s customs union if it doesnt comply with the existing one and does not implement the Additional Protocol?

Tell the truth, for once:

Geopolitical interests and antagonisms against the peoples come first before values and justice.

What a pity…

A real pity…