Women’s rights and the equality of the sexes belong to the acquis of the European Community that Turkey will have to accept as part of the conditions set for its membership negotiations with the European Union. The need for Turkish compliance is maintained by the European Parliament in a report adopted on 7 July, in which it is argued that the progress made by Turkey in terms of legislation must now be put into practice. The report of the EP emphasises that women’s rights, in particular easy access to healthcare, education, the world of work and judicial protection, must be at the centre of negotiations with Turkey. Making the necessary democratic changes is a task incumbent on the whole of civil society, including the political classes, the media, the organizations of civil society and the religious communities. The other reasons for concern include the low level of participation of women in political life (only 4.4 percent of Turkish MPs are women, with a representation of only 1 percent at the local level). The EP further announced its intention to monitor the situation of women in Turkey closely and draw up an annual report through its Commission for Women’s Rights.
