Bernard J. Durkan
Question:69 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the Government's position in regard to Turkish membership of the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26449/02]
Written Answers. - EU Membership.
John Perry
Question:96 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the Turkish application for membership of the EU. [26505/02]
Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Question:103 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the outcome of the bilateral meeting in Prague on 22 November 2002 between the Minister of State for European Affairs and the Under Secretary of State at the Turkish Foreign Ministry; the position taken by the Government at the General Affairs and External Relations Council meeting in Copenhagen on 9 to 10 December 2002 and at the European Council Meeting in Copenhagen on 12 to 13 December 2002 with respect to granting Turkey an accession date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26447/02]
Bernard J. Durkan
Question:164 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position in relation to the application by Turkey for European Union membership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26787/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 69, 96, 103 and 164 together.
The European Council meeting in Copenhagen on 12 and 13 December agreed that if the European Council in December 2004, on the basis of a report and a recommendation from the EU Commission, decides that Turkey fulfils the Copenhagen criteria, the EU will open accession negotiations with Turkey without delay.
The Copenhagen European Council recalled 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, the Government believes that it is necessary to ensure that, as with all candidate countries, Turkey has fulfilled the Copenhagen criteria before any accession negotiations can begin. The European Council encouraged Turkey to pursue energetically its reform process. I welcome the decision of the European Council and hope it will encourage Turkey to continue its efforts to fulfil the terms of the Copenhagen criteria. The human rights reforms which have been adopted over the past year represent an important step in the right direction.
The Taoiseach met with Mr. Recep Erdogan, the leader of the Justice and Development Party, on 21 November in Dublin. They discussed Turkey's application and the new Turkish Government's proposals for reform. Mr. Erdogan stressed his determination to put an end to the use of torture and human rights abuses.
The new Turkish Prime Minister, Abdullah Gul, wrote to Prime Minister Rasmussen on 7 December outlining the reform measures introduced to Parliament by the new Government, namely a package of 31 legislative reforms introduced on 3 December concerning the following: freedom of expression, association and religion; and improvements to the judicial process and eradication of torture, and an additional package on 4 December – retrial arrangements for cases heard by the European Court of Human Rights.
On 22 November in Prague, the Minister of State with responsibility for European Affairs and the Under-Secretary of State at the Turkish Foreign Ministry had a discussion on IrishTurkish economic relations, Turkey's wish to be given a date at Copenhagen for the opening of accession negotiations, and on the reform process in Turkey. The Minister of State reiterated the Irish position on the need for Turkey to meet the Copenhagen political criteria and commended Turkey for its efforts so far towards meeting these criteria.