AA16CR24ADD3

AS (2016) CR 24
Addendum 3
Provisional edition

2016 ORDINARY SESSION

________________________

(Third part)

REPORT

Twenty-fourth sitting

Wednesday, 22 June 2016 at 3.30 p.m.

Debate: The functioning of democratic institutions in Turkey

The following texts were submitted for inclusion in the official report by members who were present in the Chamber but were prevented by lack of time from delivering them.

Mr KIRAL (Ukraine) – Some voices are calling for Turkey to come back under the monitoring procedure. Not surprisingly, they are the same voices that are calling for amnesia in respect of three resolutions of this Assembly concerning Russia and that are trying to convince all of us that dialogue with the aggressor will yield results. 

This is unacceptable. It is an attempt to destabilise and derail our joint work on the common understanding of true values, accountability and what it takes to secure the proper functioning of democracy. We in the Ukrainian delegation also strongly oppose attempts to hijack this report in order to serve the political purpose of those who dream of weakening Turkey and removing an important safeguard of contemporary world order. 

It should not be the aim of this report to make decisions for Turkey, discredit its efforts and undermine the Turkish Government’s reform agenda, which is still on track with most of the Davutoğlu Government’s reformists remaining in the new government. It does not mean that we do not recognise the challenges and weaknesses listed in the report, but the broader, even geopolitical, context should not simply be advisory but surely must be our focus: war in Syria and the 3 million refugees it has caused; unfounded sanctions from Russia; Kurdish resistance and PKK terrorism; and a need for profound reforms, including in the judiciary and rule of law. 

There should be no double standards compared with the firm stance that this Assembly took towards Russia, Belarus or other countries. In Russia’s case, Putin is facing virtual threats, while building his hegemony and personal wealth based on aggression, usurping power and creating myths in the minds of the Russian people. Turkey, on the other hand, is challenged by real threats arising from terrorism and wars on almost all its borders. It strives to seek a balanced democracy as we understand it in the West, and the solid foundations of representation, a system of checks and balances within a very different cultural setting and with historical and religious preconditions.

Turkey is the strongest ally and partner of Western democracies in the region, the guarantor of its stability and prosperity. We should by no means turn a blind eye to violations of the rule of law and attacks on the media and the opposition. We need to help Turkey recognise its weaknesses and work together on overcoming them. This is what this report is really about.