Turkey has made important progress in terms of reforms to adjust to the political criteria spelt out at Copenhagen, essential for her membership of the Union, in a difficult international and domestic situation, but “far more incisive efforts than simple remedies are needed”: with 211 votes in favour, 84 against and 46 abstentions, the European Parliament has adopted the report of Arie Oostlander on the progress made by Turkey in her bid for EU membership. Among the main critical points are the need for Turkey to curb “the political and social power of the army” that is exerting an influence even on Turkey’s position on the Cypriot conflict and opposing the reunification of the island; the ascertainment that “trade-union freedom is not fully guaranteed and social dialogue remains extremely limited”; “the persistence of practices of torture and maltreatment”; and the intimidation and constant persecution of human rights activists and organizations by some authorities. The Turkish authorities are invited to make a greater effort to implement legislative reforms on the cultural rights that would permit education in traditional languages other than Turkish and the use of such languages in the media, reforms that are particularly important for the Kurdish population, who form the main ethnic minority. MEPs also take note of the fact “that Turkey continues to give to the concept of the secular State an interpretation different from that common to the EU and that it is more exact to speak of state control of the main confession and forms of discrimination against the other confessions”, especially the Catholic and Protestant communities. MEPs are further of the view that the European Union must prepare for the eventual membership of Turkey by verifying its possible impact in advance. They also consider that the EU should extend its cooperation to the Turkish authorities in the campaign against terrorism.
