Thomas P. Broughan
Question:130 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the timetable and conditions for the accession of the Republic of Turkey to the European Union. [24022/02]
Written Answers. - EU Membership.
Ireland accepts the conclusions of the Helsinki European Council of December 1999 which state that Turkey is a candidate country destined to join the European Union on the basis of the same criteria which apply to the other candidate countries. These criteria include the political criteria laid down by the Copenhagen European Council in June 1993 which stipulate that candidate countries must have achieved "stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities". In this respect, Ireland believes that it is necessary to ensure that, as with all the candidate countries, Turkey fulfils the Copenhagen criteria before any accession negotiations can begin.
The 2002 regular report on Turkey's progress towards accession issued by the European Commission on 9 October commended Turkey for "noticeable progress" made towards meeting the Copenhagen criteria, including reforms adopted in the past year. The package of reforms adopted in August 2002 is seen as "particularly far-reaching". Taken together, these reforms provide much of the groundwork for strengthening democracy and the protection of human rights in Turkey. However, the Commission report concludes that Turkey does not fully meet the political criteria and that a number of important issues arising under the political criteria have "yet to be adequately addressed".
The European Council meeting in Brussels on 24 and 25 October likewise welcomed the steps taken by Turkey towards meeting the Copenhagen political criteria. The Council noted that this had brought forward the opening of accession negotiations with Turkey and it encouraged Turkey to pursue its reform process and to take further concrete steps in the direction of implementation, which would advance Turkey's accession in accordance with the same principles and criteria as are applied to the other candidate states.
I welcome the human rights reforms which have been adopted by the Turkish Parliament in the past year. I also welcome the commitment to further enhance human rights in Turkey made by the leader of the governing Justice and Development Party, Mr. Erdogan, to the Taoiseach at their meeting in Dublin on Thursday last. The next few weeks leading up to the European Council in Copenhagen on 12 and 13 December will be very important in determining the future relations between the EU and Turkey. Ireland will be as helpful as possible in facilitating Turkey's candidature subject to the necessary criteria being fully adhered to.