TURKEY/KURDS (L-ONLY) BY AMBERIN ZAMAN/ANKARA
DATE=5/25/95
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-179369
TITLE=TURKEY/KURDS (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=AMBERIN ZAMAN
DATELINE=ANKARA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: LEADERS OF THREE LEFTWING GROUPS IN THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT HAVE CONCLUDED A TWO-DAY FACT-FINDING MISSION IN
TURKEY. AMBERIN ZAMAN REPORTS FROM ANKARA PROGRESS ON HUMAN
RIGHTS ISSUES WAS THE MAIN FOCUS OF THEIR MEETINGS WITH TURKISH
POLITICAL LEADERS.
TEXT: THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT HAS WARNED TURKEY THAT IT WILL
VOTE AGAINST A CRUCIAL FREE TRADE AGREEMENT SIGNED BETWEEN TURKEY
AND THE EUROPEAN UNION EARLIER THIS YEAR UNLESS TURKEY MAKES
PROGRESS TOWARD RESPECTING HUMAN RIGHTS SOON.
A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DELEGATION, LED BY SOCIALIST GROUP LEADER
PAULINE GREEN, MET WITH TURKISH OFFICIALS ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS
ISSUE. THE DELEGATION'S FINDINGS ARE EXPECTED TO PLAY AN
IMPORTANT ROLE IN SHAPING THE PARLIAMENT'S VIEWS ON TURKEY AHEAD
OF THE VOTE ON THE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT, WHICH IS SCHEDULED TO
TAKE PLACE LATER THIS YEAR.
AT A NEWS CONFERENCE IN ANKARA, MRS. GREEN STRESSED THAT TURKEY
MUST IMPROVE ITS HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD IF IT IS TO JOIN THE REST OF
EUROPE.
// GREEN ACT //
WE WANT TO MAKE CLEAR FOR US THE CUSTOMS UNION IS NOT
JUST ABOUT ECONOMIC INTEGRATION. IT IS ALSO THE CLOSEST
POSSIBLE RELATIONSHIP THAT THE EUROPEAN UNION CAN HAVE
WITH ANY COUNTRY SHORT OF FULL MEMBERSHIP IN THE UNION
AND THEREFORE, FOR US TO HAVE THAT VERY CLOSE
RELATIONSHIP MEANS THAT WE ALSO HAVE TO HAVE CONFIDENCE
THAT THE COUNTRIES WITH WHICH WE HAVE THAT RELATIONSHIP
HAVE THE SAME FUNDAMENTAL AND DEMOCRATIC VALUES AND
HUMAN RIGHTS VALUES AS WE HAVE WITHIN THE EUROPEAN
UNION.
// END ACT //
MRS. GREEN SAID SHE HAS BEEN ENCOURAGED BY THE FACT THAT A SO-
CALLED DEMOCRATIZATION PACKAGE IS NOW BEFORE THE TURKISH
PARLIAMENT FOR RATIFICATION. BUT WESTERN DIPLOMATS POINT OUT
THAT THERE IS STRONG OPPOSITION TO THE PACKAGE FROM HARDLINERS
BOTH WITHIN PRIME MINISTER TANSU CILLER'S CONSERVATIVE TRUE PATH
PARTY AND FROM MEMBERS OF RIGHTWING OPPOSITION PARTIES.
THIS MAKES IT UNLIKELY THAT THE PACKAGE WILL BE APPROVED BY THE
TURKISH PARLIAMENT IN ITS PRESENT FORM. THE PACKAGE, IF
APPROVED, WOULD REVOKE ARTICLE EIGHT OF A CONTROVERSIAL
ANTI-TERROR LAW THAT SAYS SPREADING SEPARATIST PROPAGANDA IS
ILLEGAL. HUNDREDS OF OF JOURNALISTS, WRITERS, ACADEMICS AND
INTELLECTUALS ARE CURRENTLY IN PRISON FOR VIOLATING ARTICLE
EIGHT.
THE HARDLINERS MAINTAIN THAT AS LONG AS THE 11-YEAR KURDISH
REBELLION, LED BY THE KURDISTAN WORKERS' PARTY, OR P-K-K,
CONTINUES IN THE MAINLY KURDISH SOUTHEAST THE COUNTRY CANNOT
AFFORD TO LIFT RESTRICTIONS ON INDIVIDUAL FREEDOMS.
AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, WESTERN OBSERVERS SAY, THE CHANCES THAT
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT WILL APPROVE THE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT
WITH TURKEY ARE SLIM. YET EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS DO NOT WANT TO
RISK ALIENATING TURKEY -- A STAUNCH NATO ALLY.
A COMPROMISE SOLUTION, WESTERN DIPLOMATS SAY, WOULD BE FOR THE
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO POSTPONE THE VOTE ALLOWING TURKEY MORE
TIME TO IMPROVE ITS HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD. (SIGNED)
NEB/AZ/SKH/CF
25-May-95 12:26 PM EDT (1626 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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