By Bouli Hadjioannou

Rapporteur tough on Turkey over customs pact

‘Implement now’

 EUROPE must insist that Turkey implement the customs agreement swiftly as a key test of its commitment to EU ideals, European Parliament rapporteur on Turkey Camiel Eurlings said yesterday.

"The challenge is to have (protocol) implementation as soon as possible," he told The Cyprus Weekly during a fact-finding visit to the island.

"It is important, not just for the normalisation of the relations between Turkey and the Republic of Cyprus but also because it is the credibility of the European Union and its customs union which is at stake," he added during an interview.

Turkey’s refusal to honour its signature on the customs agreement is "very bad for the credibility" of the EU.

"Being a Dutch citizen, it became very clear recently that the credibility of the European Union is not something to be taken for granted".

The Dutch MEP warned of a rocky ride for Turkey in the European Parliament if it continues a confrontational approach to membership.

He said that despite the EU’s counter-declaration over the non-recognition issue, Euro-MPs may postpone approval of the protocol pending legal guidance on the validity of Turkey’s attachment to the agreement.

"If we don’t get a legal view we may decide to postpone. If the protocol is not ratified then this will be an obstacle."

But the membership talks are likely to start on October 3 as scheduled, he clarified.

Parliament is due to debate the start of Turkey’s membership talks on Wednesday.

Eurlings said the European Peoples Party, the largest grouping in the plenary, was proposing that none of the chapters be opened until the protocol is actually activated.

This is designed to apply pressure and send a clear message to Turkey that it had to honour its signature.

Shameful

Eurlings said "we can have opening of negotiations," but the chapters could only be launched "once Turkey implements the protocol."

Otherwise the issue would remain pending.

He also told Ankara it needed to convince the public in Europe that it embraced freedom, tolerance and respect for minorities – fundamental principles of the bloc.

"There is a general feeling of discontent in Europe… When people turn on their television in the evening and they see people (in Turkey) saying this is unacceptable and we will never do it, people say this is arrogance we don’t want it."

"I tell this to my Turkish counterparts. You have to win the hearts of the European people. … if you don’t win the hearts, at the end of the day there will be problems,"

He voiced support for Turkey’s EU aspirations.

"As a rapporteur, I am pro the membership of Turkey, but of a European Turkey, a Turkey having our values of freedom, tolerance, respect for minorities and normalised relations with its neighbours,"

But he slammed Turkey’s treatment of religious minorities as "unacceptable" and said the country’s necessary political reforms were lagging.

"What we see lately is a regression, too often the Turks think they have done enough, that there are no more political reforms. I often speak with the Ecumenical Patriarch it is shameful what is happening in terms of religious freedom."

He also argued for clear deadlines, with talks suspended if Turkey does not actually enforce what is agreed. Otherwise he said, "problems will continue to exist, frustrations will get bigger on both sides and in the end the process will not be successful."

Close eye

The European Parliament will keep a close eye on Turkey’s track record with a progress report due later this year.

He sounded a fairly optimistic note on the Cyprus issue saying that he had been briefed by President Papadopoulos and Foreign Minister George Iacovou during his contacts yesterday.

After the meeting with Iacovou he said the European Parliament "did not accept the position of the Turkish government" regarding its refusal to allow the use of Turkish air corridors for Cyprus aircraft and to refuse entry to Cypriot ships in Turkish ports.

"What is good to hear is that already we have some signals that very slowly something is beginning to move at the UN," he said. Europe also a role to play.

Eurlings continues his contacts with meetings in the north when he crosses the Green Line today.