newsitems

While even Economy-experienced French Presidential palace Elysee's new Secretary General, Xavier Musca, speaking earlier to "EuroFora", clearly confirmed that possible findings of Oil-Gas a.o. Natural Resources in EU areas, (as f.ex. in EU Member Cyprus' territorial waters), can help to boost much needed EU's Growth,

Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU bid risks to face troubled waters in deep sea, judging by the stubborn and threatening reactions of Turkish Minister Bagis afer the unanimous EU, CoE, USA and Russia's calls to respect EU Member Country Cyprus' sovereign Right to peacefully explore and develop its Natural Resources inside its Exclusive Economic Zone on the base of several Bilateral Agreements with all other Neighbouring Countries as Egypt, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, etc. and according to the International Law of the Sea.

Particularly when the moves come just a few weeks before EU Parliament's full weekly Plenary Session in Strasbourg debates and votes on the 26th of October EU's Annual Budget for 2012, where several MEPs might be enclined to launch a call for Financial Sanctions against Ankara's more than 800 Millions € EU grants each year, a fortiori if Turkish threats are materialized...

Meanwhile, 2 exceptionally important EU and €uroZone Summits for Heads of State/Government has just been agreed for Sunday, 23th of October, in Brussels, i.e. at the eve of EU Parliament's forthcoming weekly Plenary Session in Strasbourg, (24-27/10/2011), which are due to discuss, among other Topical issues, also "External" aspects of the European Economy, including Energy and Minerals' supplies, as key elements for desired Growth :

I.e. precisely what seems to be at stake in Cyprus' a.o. exploration at its territorial deep waters, where specialized Texas US Company "Noble Energy" has just started drilling, reportedly with even better foundings on Gas which appear to go well beyond initial expectations,  shortly before a 2nd round of Licences' attribution is due to be opened during the following Weeks, as Cyprus' Commerce and Industry Minister, Mrs Praxula Antoniadou anounced today to German MPs, given that various, Norwegian, French, German, Russian, Israeli, Chinese, a.o. compagnies are reportedly interested.

     - "Turkey will always continue to react, as long as Greek Cypriots operate in the Eastern Mediterranean" Sea, reportedly threatened Bagis, inter alia, claiming that, in this sense, "the situation in the Mediterranean is at the hands of Greek Cypriots" (sic !), as he called the Internationally recognized Government of EU, CoE and UNO Member Cyprus.  

     + This was added also to other provocative statements by the Turkish Minister, who also claimed, f.ex. that "not even one Journalist isn't jailed in Turkey for its work", (sic !), slamed the EU Commission for even a benign Criticism on "Minorities"' Rights violations, and repeated Ankara's threats to not even "sit at the same table" with EU Member Cyprus, when it will take over the rotating Chairmanship of EU Council, in less than a years' time, (from the beginning of July 2012), etc.
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    - Bagis was reacting to EU Commission's Annual Reports on Turkey, published today in Brussels, which stress that "the (European) Union urges the Avoidance of Any kind of Threat, source of friction or action which could damage good neighbourly relations and the peaceful settlement of disputes", observing also the fact that "the Republic of Cyprus reported Violations of its Territorial Waters and Airspace by Turkey".

    - EU Commissioner on Enlargement and Neighborhood relations, Stefan Fuhle, reportedly reiterated that each EU Member State has a Sovereign Right to conclude Bilateral Agreements with any other Country, (f.ex. on Exclusive Economic Zones at the surrounding Mediterranean Sea), according to EU and International Law, while any threat to use Military Force, provoke Tension and/or behave in a way contrary to Peaceful Resolution of all dirputes is unacceptable by the EU, which reiterated again its call  for Turkey to normalize its relations vis a vis Cyprus.

    + Moreover, "Senior representatives of the Turkish government have stated that relations with the EU Presidency will be Frozen for six months as of 1 July 2012, in the absence of a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue, when Cyprus takes over the Council presidency", EU Commission's 2011 Report critically notes.

     - EU Commission also denounced the fact that, inter alia, "despite repeated Calls by the (EU) Council (of Heads of State/Government)  and the Commission, Turkey still has Not complied with its Obligations outlined in the declaration by the European Community and its Member States of 21 September 2005, (comp. "EuroFora"s Co-Founder's FrontPage NewsReport from UNO Headquarters at New York one week before that), and in (EU) Council conclusions, including the December 2006 and December 2010 conclusions" :

    - Thus, from 2005 up to 2011, Turkey "has not (yet) met its Obligation to ensure full, non-discriminatory application of ..the (EU) Association Agreement and has Not removed all Obstacles to the Free Movement of goods, including Restrictions on direct Transport links with Cyprus", while, at the same time, "there was No progress on normalising bilateral relations with the Republic of Cyprus", and "Turkey has Not lifted its Veto of Cyprus' Membership of several international organisations, including the OECD and the Wassenaar Arrangement on export controls for conventional arms and dual-use goods", EU Commission's 2011 Report critically observes.

    + In addition, "the Threat of casus Belli in response to the possible extension of Greek territorial Waters made in the 1995 resolution of the Turkish Grand National Assembly still stands" today, in 2011, while "a substantial number of formal complaints about Violations of its territorial waters and airspace by Turkey, including flights over Greek islands", was denounced in 2011 by Greece, who is hindered, thus, even to pay its Debts with its own Energy Resources at the Aegean Sea, i.e. inside EU territory, according to the International Law of the Sea.

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+ CoE's PanEuropean Assembly : Declaration of + 60 MEPs
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    - Meanwhile, a large Group of MEPs from the Biggest Political Parties and several European a.o. Countries, published, at the conclusion of CoE's PanEuropean  Assembly, earlier these days in the CoE, a Topical written "Declaration", which has just started to be distributed in Strasbourg, on "Turkey's threats against the Sovereign Right of the Republic of Cyprus to Explore its Oil and Natural Gas Resources within its Exclusive Economic Zone"  :
    - MEPs' Declaration "Welcomes Statements by, inter alia, the USA, the Russian Federation, EU Member States, and the EU Commissioner for Enlargement (and Neighborhood), concerning the Inalienable, Sovereign Right of Cyprus to explore eventual Oil and Natural Gas deposits within its EEZ",

    and "strongly Condemn(s) Turkey's ""Bellicose" Threats against a Member State of the CoE and the EU", while also "Calling on the Turkish Prime Minister (Erdogan) to immediately Cease all Threats and actions provoking a Climate of Tension in the Region".

    +The PanEuropean Assembly MEPs' Declaration also "call" on Erdogan to "cease .. his Blackmail for Collapse of the on-going (UN-sponsored) Talks on the Cyprus' (political) problem, should the Republic of Cyprus proceed with its (EEZ's Natural Resources) Exploration".

     - "Faced with strong and Growing Threats by Turkey, against exercicing its Sovereign Right to Prospect for Oil and Natural gas within its Exclusive Economic ZOne (EEZ)", the "Republic of Cyprus", has, nevertheless, "this Right (which) stems from, and is in strict Compliance with International Law, and in particular the Convention on the Law of the Sea, which Turkey has Not signed to date", CoE's PanEuropean Assembly's MEPs explain.

    The New Text is signed by some 60 mainstream MEPs from the 3 Biggest Political Parties (ChristianDemocrats/EPP, Socialists and Liberals) but also from the Left, representing many important European Countries, such as Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain,  but also a Wider GeoPolitical spectrum extending even to the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Greece, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Lithuania,  Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Armenia (which wil chair the CoE from November 2012), Cyprus, Monaco, Andorra (which will chair the CoE from May 2012), etc.
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    Contrary to Turkey's threats, among the main other Countries, directly neighbouring with the expected findings in Cyprus' exclusive economic zone, the Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamil Amr, reportedly confirmed that "Egypt will respect any commitment and agreement that it concluded", replying positively in a Journalist's question on the earlier agreement between Egypt and Cyprus on the demarcation of the two neighbouring and friendly countries' economic zones in the South Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

    + Moreover, Israel reportedly confirmed its clear stance to support peaceful Oil Gas Explorations in Cyprus as in its own territorial waters, while various other sources observed, that, after Turkey's threats and moves to sent Ship^s, including Military, throughout all the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, American and French Army Ships were reported heading towards Cyprus, where also German Army Ships are hosted since the 2006 Lebanon crisis for UNO Peacekeeping operations, as well as Israeli Helicopters, etc.

    According to some unverified yet informations, it's not excluded that Cyprus' President Christofias might visit, later this week, the drilling Platform of "Noble Energy" at the area known as square "12".
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    Risks to more or less "Freeze" EU's annual grants to Turkey, more than 800 Millions €, (obviously more and more Difficult to explain to Critical EU Citizens in a Period of Austerity and Budget Cuts, nor to other Neighbouring Countries, from Ukraine to Moroco, who complain for receiving Less EU funds), might come at a Dangerous point for Ankara's Economy, now that it started to face "Significant and Rising External Imbalances that pose a Threat to Macroeconomic Stability" :

Indeed,  "Trade and Current Account Deficits have been Rising", as long as "Credit growth, ..along with High commodity Prices, continues", while "Turkey's Price and Cost Export Competitiveness has slightly Worsened", and "Inflation has started to Rise, in large part due to Pressures stemming from Energy and Food Inputs, ...and Hikes in administrative Prices", making "Structural Reforms" necessary in an attempt to "Help Turkey to gain Credibility in the Markets", despite the fact that "Market Exit remains Difficult, and Bankruptcy proceedings are still relatively Cumbersome", as EU Commission today criticized :

I.e. in "Turkey .. there are increasing signs of OverHeating", provoking an obvious Threat to retun back to the 1998-2001 Past era of "Boost and Bust" successive Turkish Crisis...

Something particularly serious, when, in Turkey, also  "Corruption remains prevalent in many areas", "large-scale Undeclared Work and ...female employment rates are still matters of Concern", "the scope of the Labour Law remains Limited", and "enforcement of Health and Safety at work legislation Needs to be stepped up", while "the Risk of Poverty remains very High, especially for the Rural population and for Children", as EU Commissioner Fulher warned today.

Meanwhile, it's certainly bad for Turkish Banks to be "Black-listed" by "the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)" since "June 2011", particularly in the middle of the current Global Financial Crisis, because FATF "considers that Turkey has strategic Deficiencies in the area of anti-Money Laundering", in addition to the fact that "there has been No progress in payment systems and the level of overall alignment with the acquis remains Incomplete", while even Politically Motivated "Incidents of Prevention of Transactions (with) Banks established in Turkey have been reported", (f.ex. for Banks established in EU Member Cyprus, etc).

The recent "Black-listing" of Turkish Banks by FATF is due to be reviewed before the end of October 2011 in an Anti-Money Laundering Experts' meeting at the CoE in Strasbourg.

* 7.10 Saverne +8.10 Niederhaslach/Angelo Marcopolo/-  Speaking to Journalists including "EuroFora" at the conclusion of 2011's Annual Congress of regional Natural Parcs, Super-Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transports and Housing, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, an experienced politician despite her Young age, to whom French President Sarkozy has entrusted also the Task to prepare (together with former EU and current succesful Agriculture Minister Bruno Le Maire) a strategic Vision for the Future, on the occasion of Next Year's 2012 Elections, appeared rather positively disposed towards eventually testing similar moves of careful but pioneer rapprochement between the ChristianDemocrat/EPP political family and at least some "Green" politicians and/or Citizens sincerely motivated by a genuin Ecologic movement, as recently in Germany, where even Pope Benedict's landmark speech at the Bundestag, pointing at possible convergences on the need to protect both Physical and Human Nature from dangerous Manipulations in these modern times, (Comp. "EuroFora"s recent NewsReports from nearby Freiburg/Germany, and other relevant "EuroFora"'s Publications, f.ex. on the 2010 CDU/CSU and "Greens"' Party's Congresses) :

    + She was echoed just a Day afterwards by the President of Strasbourg's Lower Rhein Department, the popular, Citizen-friendly Guy Dominique Kennel, (See infra).

- "We are in favor of Ecologic Values, without Ideologic barriers", stressed in particular Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, after a launching a call to boost "Innovation" also inside "Natural regional Parcs", (already more than 46 throughout France, and still growing fast in number and areas covered), in her concluding speech to NRP's 2011 Congress, topically placed this year under the suggestive Heading : "Naturally a Culture : Landscapes' Future Dynamism"...

    + Replying to Press questions, the key French Minister evoked, for example, among others, also the "Similar, if not Identical, concerns and Principles for "Safety" that "we have in France, as in neighbouring Germany and/or Switzerland, etc, (even if we don't always share everywhere the same views on everything else, as she said) : F.ex.  in Energy projects, from checking anew if existing Nuclear Plants are really safe, up to prohibiting the obtention of Gas from schist in Rocky, Mountainous geologic formations, through a controversial method which injects Water in order to break up Rock layers, suspected to provoke even Earthquakes, particularly if it's used near Seismic Faults underground, (as f.ex. recently in the USA, earlier at nearby Mulhouse, and previously, probably at the 1999 Deadly Turkish huge Earthquake, etc).

    She was logically accompagnied by Minister for Territorial Entities and Decentralisation, Philippe Richert, who was recently elected President of Strasbourg's Region Alsace : A Former Professor in Natural Sciences, and a long-time Ecology-motivated activist.

    + Kosciusko-Morizet's call to boost "Innovation" in Natural landscapes, concerns currently various concrete examples, as, f.ex. an EU-supported project to network in Fiber Optics' super-Fast Broadband an area of Villages at Bietsche, in order to "go against the Digital Divide" and allow also the for creative People to become able to live in Healthy Nature, according to an Electoral Promisse made by Sarkozy, as the 1st vice-President of nearby Moselle Department, Daniel Zintz, Mayor of Siersthal, told "EuroFora", pointing at a pioneer project which had been presented initially at an International Conference in New York..

    Nathalie  Kosciusko-Morizet was due to speak also at the CoE, next Monday, in an interesting Annual Conference for Landscapes' protection, (See earlier "EuroFora"s NewsReports on CoE's Convention on Natural and Cultural Landscapes), on the topical issue of "Nature in the City", which is currently threatening a shaky "Socialist-Greens" controversial coalition in Strasbourg, in view of imminent plans to stubornly destroy unique Natural areas in the City, even in socially sensitive neighbourhoods, wasting f.ex. too much of Taxpayer's Money in order to Cut down many Trees aged 30 Years, demolish rare Sight-seing Hills and Historic Monuments older than 40 Years, restrict Freedom of Access to pre-existing Green areas by imposing walls of concrete and/or Metal fences, demolishing quiet and Safe Bicycle/Pedestrian pathways, etc, even contrary to well-known Petitions signed by Hundreds among the immediately affected Inhabitants..

    + Meanwhile, her main move was shortly followed, just a Day later, by even more specific Statements to "EuroFora" by the Citizens-friendly and popular President of Strasbourg's Lower Rhine department, Guy-Dominique Kennel, brillantly re-elected recently with a 67% large Majority in his own area, who was symbolically inaugurating a new .. Bicycle path between superb Forests and Mountains near Strasbourg (benefiting from a Direct Train link with the Airport and the main Railroad station), linking Niederhaslach and Urmatt, (i.e. the village where French President Sarkozy had launched, since 2009, a landmark call to boost EU's Forests, Nature and Agriculture with Modern Innovations for a Development without Unfair Competition nor Social or Environmental Dumping : See "EuroFora"s NewsReport from Urmatt, then) :

   

    - Already, f.ex. we are accelerating the extension of Bicycle pathways in a more than 730 Kms long expanding Network due to link all Countryside, and, today, the amounts of Money that we Invest in Bicycle paths has become Equal to that which is spend on Car Motorways (50-50%). Meanwhile even the abundant Rivers of the area are recently being revitalized and cleaned up, producing healthy water to the point that we have also started to raise f.ex. many thousands of FreshWater Crayfish !", Kennel cited among various concrete examples. So, "we are ready and willing to develop Ecological approaches, activities, projects and cooperations in real practice, together with all sincerely Motivated People, but without Ideological Dogmatism", President Kennel replied to "EuroFora" positivelly.

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    Decisively, today's grassroots' moves towards creating concrete but pioneer links between  ChristianDemocrats and "Greens" among sincere, Values-motivated People (Comp. the above mentioned "EuroFora"s previous NewsReports from Freiburg 2011 and 2010, Karlsruhe 2010, on Berlin 2011, etc), appear faster and more spontaneous than we thought !

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- OECD's Secretary General, the experienced Angel Guria, who has just started his 2nd mandate after his recent re-election until 2016, speaking to "EuroFora" after the Annual Debate in CoE's Assembly on Global Economy, pointed at the right "Combination" of Growth Stimulation and  Debt's reduction, in order to boost mainly Employment, while looking at the Agenda of the forthcoming G20 Heads of State/Governments' Summit at Cannes, under French Presidency, scheduled for early November 2011, at a crucial moment for EU's and World's ways out of the Global Crisis.

-"Of course, there is always a Hope :  If we tried to do it with what (Time) is left, No ?", joked Guria with a sharp but justified smile, proposing to "EuroFora" a fast-track Press encounter, in the few Minutes available after a full CoE Assembly Plenary Debate on OECD and many intensive International meetings with 7 Delegations from all over the World (See infra), just before catching an Airplane...

- "They (G20 Summit at Cannes) have a very Large and Good Agenda", OECD's Head warned from the outset.

- "But the most important thing, obviously will be how to face the present situation in the Markets".

+ "And", in particular, "this very difficult Combination between the (Economic Growth) Recovery and the (Sovereign Debts') Fiscal Consolidation.. It's all going so thin", he added carefuly. Meaning apparently that delicate "Balancing" between two apparently opposed policies, that he had earlier evoked in the Oral version of his Speech in CoE's Parliamentary Assembly, we observed.

- "That Balance is now becoming not only Desirable, I think it's becoming (even) Indispensable", OECD's Secretary General stressed, in reply to"EuroFora"s observation.

- "Because, this is a New Discipline that the Markets are providing : Now the Markets are saying that : now you have to do Both", and "at the same time : that's the Difficulty !"

- F.ex., "let's say, they say : "Go for Growth", and then, they kill you, because , they say, "you need Adjustment", etc. "And then, you only go for Fiscal Consolidation", and "they tell you : - "You know, we are going to Downgrade you, because you don't have enough Growth in the" economy...

- In these conditions, "the best example" might be that of the latest "Obama's proposal : the 3% of GDP, 450 Billions $, in a very Tight Budget", he speculated.  Questioned by "EuroFora" if he was sure that this could be also good for many other Countries around the World, and not only for the specific situation of the US, Angel Guria replied that, at least; it seems to be "a Good Way to make a Credible Medium/Long term Scenario", as he carefully said... - "And then, you can have a Short term, Job ..horizontal Package"..he added among others, (interrupted by practical needs to catch fast an Airplane).

EU has repeatedly made it clear that the current originality of its own, European Strategy in the way out of the Global Crisis, is to focus on Investment to Research and Innovation, while also putting Budgets on a steady Fiscal Consolidation course, (including by officially adopting the "Gloden Rule", with Time Deadlined cmmitments on Debt reduction, while, at the same time, resolutely advancing forward in "Inregration", (See "EuroFora"s relevant publications, including from the recent EU Parliament's Plenary session in Strasbourg : 9/2011, and from the Franco-German Summits in Freiburg/Gemany on 12/2010 and Paris, 8/2011)      

 - Concerning the forthcoming G20, November 2011 Summit at Cannes, (chaired by France), "the most important thing is that the Agenda will be about Volatility of Raw Materials' Prices, f.ex. in Food, Oil, etc., OECD's Head observed, confirming the Innovation introduced at the First G20 Financial 2011 Summit in Paris, as former French Minister and new IMF's Director Christine Lagarde had stressed in reply to an "EuroFora"s Question, (See previous NewsReports from the Paris event).

    + But Cannes' G20 Summit Agenda is due to include also "about the Currency situation and Capital Flows, and then it's going to be, by necessity, about Fossil Fuel", as well as "a question on Employment", which is "very important" : "It's going to be like the <<Elephant under the Table>>", Guria guessed...  

    In parallel, the G8 will continue to be "focusing on Strategic issues, Middle East and Northern Africa", etc, as during  the latest, landmark G8 Summit of Heads of State and Government, on May 2011 in Deauville, under the chairmanship of French President Sarkozy, (See "EuroFora"s NewsReports from the spot).

    -  Meanwhile,"We are going to have another G20 Finance Ministers' meeting in Paris, on the 14th and 15th of October, after the end of which, "we go to Cannes' (G 20 Heads of State/Government Summit), in 2 Weeks' time", he pointed out.

    - "Keep an eye on that meeting", because "it's going to be very important", since "it's gonna set the Agenda for Cannes"" G20 Heads of State/Government Summit, OECD's Head advised "EuroFora", confirming also that he is due to participate in both personally.
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+ 7 Delegations from Australia to Japan, Canada and Mexico +..
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    During his Day-long stay in Strasbourg, Angel Guria almost transformed the PanEuropean CoE into a ...Global Forum, with the exceptional participation of "7 Delegations" from various OECD Member States spreading from all over the World, including f.ex. Australia, Canada, Chile (new OECD Member), Israel,  Japan, Korea and Mexico  :

    After actively participating to COE Assembly's Debates on OECD's 2011 Annual Report, these 7 Delegations from International Guests held very Intensive discussions with the Head of the OECD in Strasbourg, one after the other, up to late afternoon, when a busy Guria rapidly snatched his abudant documents, gathered around him his sympathetic team, and run fast towards a special car to catch a TGV or an Airplane, ... while still speaking to "EuroFora" up to the last minute, with an astonishingly Fast, Crystal-clear and Energetic way...
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    + At the aftermath of Cannes,  the next G 20 is due to be held much Sooner than usual, i.e.  shortly after the next G8 in the USA, scheduled around May 2012, due to be closely followed by the G20 in Mexico (f.ex. on June), "because they (Mexicans) have Elections on July, and want to hold the Summit before" that, Guria explained, according to a Timetable which obviously fits also USA's October 2012 Election..  
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    OECD was initially mentioned, as a potential contributor for the implementation of Global Heads of State/Government Summits during the 2007 G7 Summit in Heiligendam, under German chairmanship, (comp. French President Satkozy's reply to "EuroFora" co-founder's question on the spot). Since then, the Paris-based International Economic Cooperation Organization has progressively augmented its practical contribution to the implementation mainly of G20 goals, while also pursuing, in parallel, a long-awaited Enlargment process opening its doors f.ex. to Russia and other Countries, even if in a somewhat slower than normal pace, goven certain older Member Countries' hasitations to Enlarge fasrter, (or even brutal "Vetos", as f.ex. Turkey's refysal of any cooperation between OECD and Cyprus, even in EU-paid programs, for which Ankara is routinely criticized by the EU).

    Thus, Angel Guria's 2 succesive mandates as OECD's Secretary General (2006-2016) practically coincide with the International Economic Organization's growing contribution to the G8 and G20 Summits' implementation, for which he has appointed as diplomatic "Sherpa" his own personal Office Director, Gabriela Ramos.  

 
    The 5Oth Anniversary Summit of the OECD, earlier last May 2011 in Paris, (See "EuroFora"s NewsReport from the event, at the eve of G8 Summit in Deauville), shortly after inaugurating its functional New Buildings, artfully combined with its Historic "Chateau" inside the same beautiful garden, was largely attended by many Ministers and even Prime Ministers (f.ex. of Japan, Greece, etc) from all over the World, and gave an opportunity to reflect and speculate also on OECD's on-going efforts to complete its Enlargement to Russia and other Countries, in order to better tackle the Historic Challenge of progressively becoming a central Institutional Tool for Global G8 and mainly G20 Heads of State/Government's Summits' decisions monitoring, (comp. Supra).     

PanEuropean CoE in Strasbourg (already enlarged to Russia and other Countries since 1996+) traditionally plays the role of OECD's Parliamentary Forum, during Annual sessions exceptionally enlarged to all OECD Member States, (See, f.ex. supra).

***

(NDLR : "DraftNews", as already sent earlier to "EuroFora"s Subscribers/Donors. A complete and more accurate, Final Version is due asap).

***

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- While CoE's Commissioner on Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg is due to visit next week Turkey, the only State receiving some 1 Billion € in Grants from EU Taxpayers' money each year, despite having a Record-High number of Journalists persecuted or even already jailed in Prison, in addition to other serious Violations of Human Rights, including outstanding cases of scandalous Impunity even for cold-blood Murders of Journalists, Web access blocked, etc., that various recent Reports and/or MEPs denouncent, Ankara may soon realize that it cannot behave like ...far away African Eritrea vis a vis its Commitments to the CoE and the EU :

Indeed, CoE's new Rapporteur on Freedom of Media, mainstream Swedish MEP Mats Johansson, speaking to "EuroFora", stressed a strong will to boost a permanent Monitoring of Journalists' core freedoms and foster systematic Europe-wide Debates with several concerned Organizations and personalities in order to efficiently monitor still on-going or any forthcoming serious violations of their basic Human Rights and/or attempts to Muzzle Critics, both before and after CoE Assembly may adopt his 1st Report, scheduled for June 2012.
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     - "This" debate on Press Freedom monitoring throughout all Europe "should be done on a Regular basis, and not only once a Year", Johansson energetically stressed from the outset.

    - "But, the Big thing is to get MPs here, because it's naturally important to have here the (International Human Rights and/or Journalists') NGOs, but, out there (i.e. in CoE Assembly's Plenary) there are some 600 Politicians (from all over Europe) and they should be informed on the breaches" of Press Freedom. "Not only those who are in the Committee on Medias, but all of them", Johansson pointed out. "But, there are a lot of them (MPs) who don't want to go forward, because they feel that this is a Sensitive thing for their Country". Another lot of them are not interested because they have no background, they don't understand what it means". "So, let's try to move on, on a Regular basis", even if sometimes in a "simplified" way, f.ex. "on the sidelines of CoE Assembly's Plenary", he agreed with "EuroFora". At any case, "it should be done Regularly", and "if it really means something to the CoE, then we have to move it in the Forefront !", he  stressed with resolution.

+ "If anybody might like to Stop me, I'm glad to take up that Discussion !", Johansson warned.,=> At any case, "whenever really needed, I'll be present on-line", f.ex. at CoE's website, he promissed.

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But we should speak more about real and concrete cases, not only about general theories, he advised.

F.ex., a concrete case interesting particularly my country, Sweden, is that of jailed Journalist Dawit Isaak, who is being held, without trial, for more than 10 Years imprisoned in a secret place in Eritrea. He was arrested back on 2001 together with 11 other People, 9 of which are now Dead. He is simply accused to be politically opposed to the President of Eritrea, and, as long as they keep staying in conflict with Ethopia, they don't want to let him go. We have tried everything in order to free him, even offered Money, or asked France's help, without result. Even when former EU Commissioner Michel had visited Eritrea, they laughed at him when he asked for Isaak to be liberated.

Nevertheless, EU Parliament recently started to move with a call launched in Strasbourg, and now there is also a fresh Motion signed by some 20 MPs in CoE's Assembly.  Pointing at a "recent appeal for Dawit Isaak to the Eritrean High Court by a group of European Human Rights lawyers, supported by a wide range of Publishers from all over Europe", the written Declaration lodged this week in Strasbourg by more than 20 MEPs from the 2 Biggest Groups of the PanEuropean Organization's Assembly ChristianDemocrats/EPP, Socialists and Liberals, from more than 12 different European Countries, (such as Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belgium, Monaco, Moldova, Germany, the UK, etc), denounces the fact that "the treatment of Dawit Isaak contravenes the Eritrean Criminal Procedure Code", and "also runs counter to International law and conventions signed by Eritrea, such as the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, the UN Declaration on Prison Conditions and the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners", being "a matter of Universal respect for the Principles of political and Human rights, so dearly protected by the CoE".

 => "Therefore" the Declaration which has just started to be put into circulation inside CoE, "asks member and observer Governments of the CoE to use their international and bilateral relations to help Dawit Isaak receive Justice after his Disappearance in prison in Eritrea a decade ago", during which, "No charge has been made, no trial held, no visits allowed", while even "his location is unknown to this day".

However, a main problem is that there are not operational Links between EU and Eritrea, except from Humanitarian Aid, but we don't want to cut f.ex. Food for Poor People, who are also innocent, Johansson added to "EuroFora". So the Government of Eritrea "doesn't care"...
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+ Scandalous Impunity for Adali Murder case, despite 2005 ECHR Judgement condemning Turkey for lack of Investigation : Same Year as in Gongadje case, where some progress was made by Ukraine, on the contrary..
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Could and should it be Easier than ..Eritrea, when it comes to a neighbouring Country as Turkey, which receives almost 1 Billion € each year in Grants from the EU ?

"EuroFora" informed CoE's Rapporteur on Press Freedom, about the exceptional case of the still totaly Unpunished cold-blood Murder of dissident Turkish Cypriot Journalist Kutlu Adali, with 5 bullets fired at his Head in front of his Family Home in the Territories of Cyprus Occupied by Ankara's Invasion Army.

Adali was known as a Critic of Ankara's policy to systematically import Turkish Settlers from Anatolia in Cyprus' Occupied Territories, from which Greek Cypriot inhabitants had been brutally chassed away and still hindered to return, contrary to ECHR's case law, with the Threat to alter the Demographic Structure of the area, transforming real Turkish Cypriots into a Minority even at the Northern part of the island, so that a Political Obstacle risked to be added against a Peaceful ReUnification of Cyprus, as CoE's Assembly and Ministerial Committee had both denounced.

ECHR condemned Turkey for a total lack of any efficient Investigation to find and punish those Responsible for Adali's murder, the same year (2005) that EuroJudges also condemned the former Ukranian Government for insufficiently investigating the famous brutal Murder of critical Journalist Gongadje.

But, while Ukraine notoriously started to try to investigate Gongadje's Murder, arresting and condemning to jail already 2 or 3 People, accepting to cooperate with Foreign (USA) Experts, etc., under the continuing Supervision of CoE's Committee of Ministers, responsible for monitoring of ECHR Judgements' implementation,

on the Contrary, in the Adali case, Turkey was practically absolved, in silence, by CoE's Committee of Ministers, even without ever finding anyone among those responsible for the Brutal Murder of the Journalist, since the relevant ECHR's judgement was suddenly erased from CoE's Committee's list, without any Debate, on June 2010, i.e. precisely when Turkey had started to take over the Rotating Chair of CoE's Ministerial Committee on Human Rights' issues, ("EuroFora" found", thanks to converging Statements by several CoE's Officials, and relevant CoE Documents : See previous "EuroFora"s Publications on that issue).

=> A simple Comparison between these 2 landmark ECHR Judgements of 2005 on Journalists' Adali and Gongadje's Murders clearly reveals, thus, a blatant "Double Standards" treatment, Scandalously exploited by the Turkish Government without any known Justification at all, (See supra). A fact which obviously threatens to seriously undermine CoE's credibility on Press Freedom...

=> In consequence, Johansson asked for more concrete data on Adali's case, and promissed "EuroFora" that he will  "look at it", in order to find out what really happened, and what can and/or should be done.
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 + Hrant Dink's Murder : Impunity + Persecutions persist even after ECHR's 2010 Judgement condemning Turkey, Armenian MEP + CoE's Rapporteur on On-line Media Freedom denounces, and COE's Committee of Ministers promisses "Serious" Reply..
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    * Meanwhile, during Monday's Questions to the Chairperson of CoE's Committee of Ministers, ChristianDemocrat/EPP Armenian MEP Ms Zaruhi Postanjyan, asked Ukranian Foreign Minister Konstantn Gryshchenko "what Measures" will take CoE's body in charge of ECHR Judgements' execution in order to Stop the "outrageous Persecution" against "Freedom of Expression, which continues after Journalist Hrant Dink's Murder in Turkey, extending even against the Victim's Son as it is well known, and many other persecuted Journalists.

ECHR's Judgement on Hrant Dink's murder case, condemned Turkey on October 2010 mainly for its reluctance to search, find and punish various persons apparently involved, who may have Instigated, Planned, helped, and/or Covered up the real dimension of the Journalist's cold blood killing, (See "EuroFora"s detailed analysis of ECHR's 2010 Judgement).

    - Persecutions against Critical Journalists as murdered Hrant Dink, his son and others in Turkey "are an Issue that deserves obviously a great Attention", replied CoE's Chairman in office.

     - "But, these Issues need also to be throroughly analyzed and reviewed", Gryshchenko carefully added, (after looking also at an experienced on Turkey CoE's Committee of Ministers' Official next to him, who didn't make any move, remaining inexpressive). Therefore, "when the (CoE's) Committee of Ministers' decision will be taken" on the way Turkey implements ECHR's Judgement on Hrant Dink's Murder case, then, "I'll be Ready to Reply" to such Questions "in Detail", he promissed for later-on, (perhaps a little bit too optimistically)...
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    However, the surprising attitude of a Turkish Establishment's Media correspondent, close to the Governing Party AKP of Mr. Erdogan, during a CoE Assembly Debate on Press Freedom, organized on the sidelines of the weekly Plenary Session in Strasbourg, obviously didn't leave hopes for positive Changes in the short term :

    - Accusing CoE's Human Rights Commissioner, together with OSCE's representative on Medias' Freedom, etc., to issue .. "Thousands of Pages" on Turkey's violations, which "make Readers sceptical", as he claimed, the Turkish pro-Government "Journalist" also criticized CoE's Officials for allegedly provoking Turkish Judges' Negative Reactions, because they would think that ECHR's judgements and/or statements "try to Influence the (Turkish) Courts", or even "violate the Privacy (sic !) in on-going cases", as he curiously said.

    + Moreover, advancing further on a Specific issue, the same Turkish Establishment Media's Correspondent expressed Doubts even on whether it was "Ethical", or not, for CoE/OSCE a.o. Critics of the Turkish Government to denounce Ankara's authorities also for the jailing of certain Journalists under "Charges for Conspiracy" (reportedly accused to plot, together with f. Turkish Army Officers, Businessmen, etc., to provoke Bomb Terrorism disguissed as "Leftist" or "Kurdish", etc, in a failed attempt to violently overthrow the current Government), i.e. for something which "had Nothing to do with Freedom of Media" activities, as he said.

    - Without limiting the Debate only to this special case, CoE's Commissioner on Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, observed, smiling, that such reactions from the Turkish Establishment revealed, in general,  "quite a Challenge for me", as he said apparently in relation also to his forthcoming visit to Turkey next week..

    - "In Turkey there is a Problem, there", particularly concerning "Journalists' Freedom to ask Questions", almost "as it had been in the Past even in the U.K. during the years of Conflict on Ireland, when, f.ex. Journalists had difficulties to speak to some Groups, etc., replied, calmly but sharply, the experienced, f. long-time Secretary General of the European/International Federation of Journalists, Aidan White.

    - In particular, it's a fact that "too Many Journalists are in Jail today in Turkey", he denounced, agreeing with several other European/International Officials (see Supra), apparently because the (Turkish) Government believes that they ask the "Wrong" questions..

    - But, "all (and mainly, more or less Investigative) Journalists need to ask Questions Freely, in any Area of Frozen Conflicts", stressed White. Therefore, the issue is "how to enable an Environment which would really allow Journalists, during their professional activities, to ask Governments, International and/or local actors. - "This is not just a Theoretical but also a Serious, practical issue : We need to Open up a Debate, whenever a Government intervenes to hinder Journalists to ask Questions, the experienced IFJ/EFJ long-time Head concluded.

    + Moreover, in this as also in other similar cases, "we need to Protect People who haven't been Killed yet", another participant in CoE Assembly's debate added.

    - As for OSCE's Representative on Media Freedom, Dunja Mijatovic, she criticized the fact that, in addition to the great Number of Journalists jailed in Turkey, (see also infra), there is also the "Chilling Effect" provoked by a persisting failure to "DeCriminalize Libell" and so-called "defamation" of Turkish Authorities (or even of the so-called "Turkiness" !)..

    + "In Turkey,... there have been cases (of "Journalists Murdered") that must not be forgotten". F.ex. "the Murder of Hrant Dink,.. a Turkish-Armenian Journalist who was shot in 2007, has raised Many Questions about Freedom of Expression and the Rights of Journalists", observes a recent Report on "Protection of Journalists from Violence", prepared by OSCE's Representative on Media Freedom, Dunja Mijatovic, and published by the experienced CoE's Commissioner on Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, in Strasbourg on October.

    + F.ex.; "it is Suspected that", "a then 17 year old ...arrested for confessing the Murder-and recently ..convicted for the assassination", ".. merely pulled the trigger", while "Questions linger about the Real MasterMinds behind Dink's Death, as the trial deepens", OSCE's Key Official notes.

    - But "No effort must be spared to apprehend and bring to Justice, not only the actual Killer, but also those who Ordered this Murder", particularly given that "Attacks against one Journalist have the Devastating effect of Silencing Many Others", the Mijatovic - Hammarberg Issue Paper adds as a matter of Principle.

    + "Hrant Dink in Turkey" is among "the most Leading Investigative Journalists (who have fallen Victims to the most Brutal Killing" "in recent years", together with "Anna Politofskaya in Russia, ... Georgyi Gongadze in Ukraine and Elmar Huseynov in Azerbaijan", OSCE's Media Freedom Representative observed.

    - Unlike Turkey, in Russia, not only, "soon after the Murder of Anna Politofskaya, the suspected Killer was Identified" and "recently arrested", but also, "Several others accused of Involvement in the Murder had been Apprehended Earlier", as , f.ex., "2 Brothers and a former officer from the Organized Crime Squad (who) went on Trial, accused of having helped to organise the Killing", while "the Prosecution also alleged that a serving Officer from the FSB, the Russian Intelligence service, had played a Major part in Planning Politofskaya's assassination". "In February 2009, all Four were acquitted", but "the Prosecution objected", and "later the same year, the Russian Supreme Court upheld the Prosecution's complaint and ordered a New Trial". Meanwhile, moreover, even "the suspected MasterMind of Anna Politofskaya's Murder, a former Interior Ministry Official, was Arrested in August this year" (2011), Mijatovic notes in comparison.

    Thus, "in Russia ... it is especially Heartening to learn that Authorities at the Top Level of Government are taking a Proactive Role in Solving Murder Cases against Journalists" : "Another Encouraging example is that Aleksandr Bastrykin, the Head of the Investigative Committee, ordered a Review of ALL  Criminal Cases opened in relation to Attacks against Media", and "instructed his staff to pay a special Attention to Cases that were Closed or Suspended before the Creation of the Committee he heads". Moreover, "the Sentencings of the Killer of Journalist Igor Domnikov .. and of the Murderers of Journalist Anastassia Baburova, .. and Human Rights Lawyer Stanislav Markelov, are Welcome", because "the Verdicts give Hope to Society as a whole and prove that Crime will NOT go Unpunished. This is the Right Way Forward", praises the October 2011 OSCE-CoE Paper.  

    - Also "in Ukraine, ...it is Commendable that there have been Renewed Efforts to Investigate and Punish All those Involved" in "Georgiy Gongadze's Murder" (2000),  the OSCE-CoE Paper observes on October 2011. This is in Addition to at least 2 Persons arrested and condemned to more than 10 Years in Prison each, and a 3rd Suspect more recently apprehended, as well as Foreign Experts' (including even from USA's FBI) help welcomed in the Investigation, as CoE's Committee of Ministers had previously noted, "EuroFora" understands.

    - But, on the Contary, on Turkey, "in 2010 the European Court of Human Rights issued a Judgement in the case of Dink v. Turkey", where "the Court concluded (inter alia, also)  that by Abandoning the Criminal Proceedings against the Responsible Policemen (for Negligence in the Protection of Hrant Dink's Life), the (Turkish) Government had been in Breach of its Obligation to Protect Dink's Right to Life", the OSCE-CoE Paper distinguishes. "More recently, six Officers.. of the Turkish Gerndarmerie were Sentenced for Negligence and Failure to act on intelligence on Dink's potential Assassination", Mijatovic added, while ECHR has also denounced the fact that Noone among even known to the Police suspects for Planning and/or Instigating Hrant Dink's Murder was ever found and caught by Turkish Police, (See relevant, previous "EuroFora"'s detailed NewsReport on ECHR's 2010 landmark Judgement).
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    + The current situation of Press Freedom in Turkey was strongly criticized also by various key-MEPS at a CoE's Hearing, earlier in Stockholm on September, according to an Official CoE's transcript which circulated in Strasbourg this week :

    - Brittish Socialist MEP Michael Connarty, reportedly denounced that he was "Shocked by the reaction of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, when he had been questioned on persons jailed in his country. In such blatant cases of human rights violations, silent diplomacy is not enough", he regretted.

    - CoE's standing Rapporteur on Press Freedom, Swedish ChristianDemocrat MEP Mats Johansson, reportedly replied  that he "shared the views of Connarty on the behavior of Erdogan in front of CoE's Assembly".

    Erdogan had in substance tried to justify the Censorship of a Book at the Internet and even a "preventive Arrest" of its Author, denounced by the President of the Liberal Group of MEPs, Anne Brasseur from Luxembourg, and, when her criticism was suported also by the President of the Group of the Left, Dutch MEP Tiny Cox, the Turkish Prime Minister reacted by claiming that all jailed Journalists in Turkey could simply do as he had done himself in the Past, when, after a short imprisonment of only 2 Months for controversial Statements, he co-founded the now-governing Party AKP, winning afterwards many Elections until he became Head of the Turkish Government !

     + William Horsley, European Journalists Association's representative for "Press Freedom", also found "the situation in Turkey particularly Alarming, because of the Great Number of jailed Journalists, and of the Gravity of Criminal Sanctions imposed for Libell".

    - "In Turkey, (even) the Government acknowledges that over 60 Journalists are being held in Jail, charged or convicted of Criminal offenses, mostly accused of terrorism-related offenses. Some have received sentences of over 100 Years (sic !), and say they have been Punished for Writing about matters of evident Public Concern", AEJ Media Freedom Representative stated during CoE's latest Hearing.            

    - When Turkish MEP Mehmet Tekelioglou reacted by claiming that "if Journalists supportent Terrorist Oganizations' acts", then it was "legitimate" for the Turkish "Forces of Order to launch Investigations against them, and to Persecute them", AEJ's Horsley replied that there were "Doubts on whether all those Numerous Jailings  of Journalists operated in Turkey these last years were really due to Terrorist Activitiess. The fact that one of them was Condemned to ...138 Years in Prison, merely for having made Propaganda in favour of the PKK, is at least Extraordinary !", Horsley denounced.

    + "In Turkey, Human Rights Defenders were, this year again, Persecuted because of their legitimate activities of Monitoring and Denouncing alleged Violations of these Rights. Persons expressing Dissident views were always exposed to Criminal Prosecutions and to various Intimidation manouvers", denouced "Amnesty International"'s Annual Report for 2010.

    + OSCE's Representative on Media Freedom, Mrs Dunja Mijatovic, also denounced during CoE's recent hearing (See supra) the fact that "Press Freedom in Turkey is a matter of Concern : ... In this country, 80 Journalists are imprisoned just for having said some things", she criticized.

    - "A very Worrying Trend", "observe(d) more and more often", is, indeed, "the Imprisonment of Journalists based on Political Motivations", and, "althrough this trend is ot Common practice in Europe, Opposed to many Other parts of the World", nevertheless, f.ex. "the Number of Journalists imprisoned in Turkey has Increased" in 2011, while "there are also Hundreds of on-going Trials against Journalists that can result in Imprisonment", Dunja Mijatovic revealed.

    - "Most Journalists are imprisoned based on provisions of Turkey's anti-Terror Law and the Turkish Criminal Code", but "it's very Important that Authorities protect objective Repoting even on Sensitive Topics such as Terrorism or National Security", also because "the Public's Right to Know includes such issues", OSCE's Representative pointed out.

=> Could the Turkish Government persist to practically ignore such CoE/OSCE/AI/EFJ and MEPs' strong criticism and denonciations of serious Violations of European and International Rules on Press Freedom, as the far away ....Eritrea's rulers did until now in the Dawit Isaac case (See supra) ?... 

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WWWeb Media Freedom : "Blocked" !
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    + Moreover, "the 1st OSCE-wide Study on Internet content regulation, .. launched on July" 2011, revealed "a New Trend ...which seems to be Blocking Access to content if State Authorities are not in a position to reach the perpetrators for prosecution". But, normaly, States should Refraain from using Blocking as a Permanent Measure, or as a Means for Punishment", OSCE's Representative for Media Freedom, Dunja Mijatovic stressed.

    - Nevertheless, "Turkey provides the Broadest legal Measures for Blocking Access to Websites, by specifying 11 Content-related Crimes", and "Turkish Authorities have Not (even) Revealed the Number of Websites Blocked using that legislation", the OSCE's Senior Representative denounced.

    + Such issues are going to be examined by another, specific forthcoming CoE Report on "the Protection of Freedom of Expression and Information at the Internet and in the On-line Medias", due to be drafted by Armenian ChristianDemocrat MEP, Ms Zaruhi Postanjyan.

    CoE's Rapporteur on Press Freedom for On-line Media, Zaruhi Postanjjyan, speaking to "EuroFora", explained that she had been hindered to go to the Stockholm CoE's meeting on September, but promissed to inform "EuroFora" on the forthcoming progress of her Report that she's determined to push forward, with her usual voluntarist temper.  (See also Supra her Question to the CoE's Committee of Ministers on Hrant Dink's murder etc).