Parliamentary Assembly

Mr President, Mr Secretary General, honorable parliamentarians, it is a privilege for me to address this august Assembly which is the oldest parliamentary congregation of European nations, on a day of particular significance for Turkey in its destiny with Europe.

We are proud to be one of the founding members which, in 1949, laid the foundation of this common home of European nations that subscribe to the ideals of pluralistic democracy, the supremacy of the rule of law, and which uphold fundamental human rights and freedoms. The Council of Europe has expanded its horizons, in parallel with the larger transformation undergone in our continent, and today represents the convergence of roughly 800 million European citizens around democratic values and legal standards. We extend a warm welcome to our most recent member and wholeheartedly congratulate Monaco on this occasion.

As a pan-European forum, the Council’s place and role within the new European architecture requires new definition.

In this connection, the extensive acquis of the Council, elaborated over fifty years through numerous European instruments in several fields, constitutes an important foundation for other European institutions.

In this framework, we support the European Union becoming party to the European Convention on Human Rights, the European Cultural Convention and the Revised European Social Charter. The 3rd Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe, scheduled to take place in Warsaw next year in May, will provide a timely opportunity to give guidance, particularly in the aftermath of the enlargement of the European Union, on the future role of the Council within the new European architecture.

Mr President, the norms of the Council of Europe, embodied in more than 190 conventions, provide a basic point of reference for Turkey. The adoption of European norms in Turkish legislation continues to this day and has been a principal component of our current reform process. In fact, earlier this morning Turkey deposited with the Secretary General instruments of ratification for three more European conventions and signed two additional ones.

Mr President, shortly after the Justice and Development Party assumed office in Turkey, in January 2003, our current Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs stood before this Assembly as Prime Minister and outlined our commitments to reforms. Despite the short period of time that has elapsed since then, I am pleased to be able to state that nearly all those commitments are already fulfilled.

I would like to briefly refer to some of these comprehensive reforms. We abolished the death penalty and eliminated it from law. We will shortly complete the procedures for the ratification of Protocol No. 13 to the European Convention on Human Rights.

We dissolved the state security courts.

We have effectively adopted and implemented a “zero tolerance” policy towards torture and inhuman and degrading treatment, as reflected in the reports of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture.

We have aligned civilian-military relations in conformity with democratic norms.

We have adopted regulations to promote gender equality and enshrined it as a principle in the constitution for the first time.

We have enabled broadcasting in and learning of the languages and dialects traditionally used by Turkish citizens in their everyday lives.

We have adopted a law for compensating losses of victims of terrorism which afflicted Turkish society during the 1980s and 1990s.

The comprehensive legislative reforms we have enacted, and the measures we have taken to expedite their uniform implementation, have been coined as a “silent revolution” by the Independent Commission on Turkey composed of eminent European politicians in their report issued past month. I appreciate that the Assembly recognised and commended our reform programme and concluded, last June, the monitoring procedure for Turkey by a large majority.

Mr President, legal changes that will enable Turkey to become a party to the International Criminal Court, as is the case with the majority of the members of the Council of Europe, are among the reforms that we have accomplished. In this context, our new Penal Code includes the crime of genocide and crimes against humanity in line with contemporary norms. We enacted the necessary amendments to the constitution. Having completed the domestic legal preparations, I would like to announce today from this rostrum that Turkey will, in the near future, ratify the Rome Statute and become a party to the International Criminal Court.

Mr President, today is a date of particular significance for Turkey in its accession process to the European Union. We are confident that the positive tone set by the Commission report and recommendation will be matched by the political will on the part of the leadership of the member states of the European Union. We hope to bring a long-travelled road to its final lap with the initiation of accession negotiations in the first half of 2005. Turkey’s membership will not be realised overnight. Certainly Turkey anticipates concluding this phase within a reasonable period of time. To this end, we, in Turkey, will fulfil our share.

Mr President, the transformation that has taken place in Turkish society is also reflected in the adoption of the European culture of compromise, as was demonstrated in the policy of the Turkish Government in efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus problem. The resolve demonstrated by Turkey for a just and lasting resolution of this problem and its positive contributions to the efforts of the UN Secretary-General to achieve a comprehensive settlement are acknowledged by the international community.

Regrettably, the process of negotiations, strongly supported by Turkey leading up to the simultaneous referenda held on the island on 24 April 2004, did not yield the positive outcome. Let me recall that the Turkish Cypriot side, by a large majority in favour of the Annan plan, demonstrated their political will for unification and membership in the European Union.

The outcome of the referenda has created a new state of affairs in Cyprus. In his latest report on his mission of good offices in Cyprus, the UN Secretary-General clearly underlines that “the Turkish Cypriot vote has undone any rationale for pressuring and isolating them” and calls on all states to co-operate both bilaterally and in international bodies to eliminate unnecessary restrictions and barriers that have the effect of isolating the Turkish Cypriots and impeding their development. Six months have elapsed since the referenda on the island. Now is the time to end the political, economic, social and cultural isolation that the Turkish Cypriots have been subjected to. I call on the international community to lift the unfair economic embargo imposed on them for decades. Concrete measures need to be taken to facilitate direct commercial, cultural and transportation links.

As an organisation dedicated to the development of European co-operation, the Council of Europe can take a leading role in this direction. The decision adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe two days ago to include the elected representatives of the Turkish Cypriots in its deliberations is a step in the right direction. It is only natural that the Turkish Cypriots, who have made a European choice, take their due place in this forum for pan-European dialogue and co-operation.

Mr President, while the new century offers much promise for the promotion of democracy, good governance and human rights at global level, it is also replete with a whole new spectrum of unpredictable and lethal challenges.

Terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction top the list of perils that pose a major threat to our security and liberty. Terrorism today has become truly global. Accordingly, our struggle with this scourge requires a new level of coherence and solidarity. Indiscriminate acts of terror committed throughout the world target the entire humanity. Terrorism knows no national or regional boundaries and cannot be affiliated with any one religion or cause.

It is a crime against humanity that cannot be justified under any circumstance. Turkey encourages the Council of Europe to play a more active role in the normative as well as the practical aspects of combating terrorism.

In this context, I invite the Council of Europe to intensify its contacts with the Organization of the Islamic Conference to promote a dialogue between diverse cultures and religions. Turkey, as a member of both organisations, is ready to exert the necessary effort to this end.

Mr President, before drawing to a close, I turn to developments taking place close to us in Turkey, just across our borders, in Iraq. The grave security situation is also a matter of deep concern for all countries contributing to the humanitarian efforts to rehabilitate, reconstruct and reinstate law and order in that country.

The transfer of authority to the Interim Iraqi Government was the first step towards normalisation. However, the road ahead to political stability is still full of dangers and threats. We remain committed to assisting the Interim Iraqi Government in its daunting task to improve security, stability and prosperity for Iraq.

For the restoration of stability, the preservation of the integrity and unity, the establishment of a government fully representing all segments of society and the reconstruction of Iraq are matters of vital concern for Turkey, as well as for the whole region.

We also play a leading role in the consultation mechanism between Iraq and her neighbours. Turkey launched this initiative and through it we seek to make a collective contribution. We would like to see a democratic Iraq, free from terror, at peace with itself and its neighbours and fully reintegrated with the international community. Turkey has no agenda, other than contributing to the emergence of a stable Iraq.

Mr President, I thank you for this opportunity today to address the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which represents our continent’s common heritage of unity in diversity. In concluding, I reiterate our strong commitment to the common quest to upholding individual freedoms, human rights, political liberty and the rule of law as well as to the consolidation of security and democracy throughout our continent. Turkey will continue to be an active member of the Council of Europe. Thank you.