European Parliament votes 'constructive criticism' on Turkey
September 5, 2006 10:30 AM
Monday, September 4, the Foreign Affairs Committee voted to continue its support of Turkey's EU membership bid.
Andrew Duff, spokesman for the Liberal Group (ALDE), said that Parliament must continue to engage with the Turkish accession process.
In a statement today, Duff says: 'Parliament rightly confirms its positive support to the accession process of Turkey. It is also right to be critical about the slow progress of reform in Turkey, and to urge greater commitment by the Turkish government to absorbing EU standards of liberal democracy. There is a long way to go before Turkey is ready for full membership.
'As far as the European Parliament is concerned, there are still many unhealthy prejudices about Turkey, with Turcophobes willing to seize upon any pretext to block the accession process.
Duff added: 'The report will now go to the next plenary session. I will be trying to strengthen the Parliament's appreciation of Turkey's potential contribution to the development of a common EU foreign, security and defence policy. We should also insist on a more balanced approach by Ankara to finding solutions to the Kurdish problem. And we should address more clearly the tensions between Turkey's official secularism and popular Islam.'
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