Vol. 571 No. 1
447 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the occasions at which he has raised with the Turkish Government or its representatives the continuing human rights abuses of the Kurdish people carried out with the sanction and approval of the Turkish Government. [20738/03]
The Government's concerns about the human rights situation in Turkey, including the situation of the Kurdish population, are raised regularly in our contacts with the Government of Turkey and its representatives, and in co-operation with our partners in the European Union. We continue to monitor the human rights situation through the embassy in Ankara, in the context of relations between the EU and Turkey, and through our membership of international organisations, including the Council of Europe.
I have welcomed the significant legislative reforms in the field of human rights adopted by the Turkish Parliament over the past two years. The 2002 reform packages provided for the abolition of the death penalty, the lifting of states of emergency and the authorising of broadcasting and education in languages other than Turkish. The legislative packages approved in recent months covered judicial reform, increased civilian control of the military, prison reform and the exercise of fundamental freedoms. If fully implemented, these measures should enhance the cultural and ethnic rights of all citizens, including those of Kurdish origin. I urge the government of Turkey to take all action necessary to achieve this objective as soon as possible.
Turkey is a candidate country for membership of the European Union. A decision on the opening of accession negotiations will be made by the European Council in December 2004. It will be based on an assessment of Turkey's fulfilment of the Copenhagen political criteria, which require a candidate state to achieve stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities. The overall human rights situation, including that of Kurds, will be a central element of that assessment.
