EUCommissioner Füle to EuroFora on Turkey: EU demands = clear,while CoE checks Media,Kurds,Migrants+

                                              
*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- EU expectations vis a vis stalled Negotiations with Turkey are crystal-clear, and focus particularly on Fundamental Freedoms, stressed the competent EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood policy, Stefan Füle, speaking to "EuroFora" at the CoE, while its PanEuropean Parliamentary Assembly was checking Ankara's Record High Violations of Media Freedom, persistint Failure to implement ECHR's Judgements condemning Turkey for many serious Violations of Human Rights, cold blood Murder of 3 dissident Kurdish Women in France and the Kurdish issue, Mass illegal Immigration flows via Turkey towards the EU, Implementation of ECHR's Judgements, Cyprus, Greek Minorities' rights in Turkish Islands, Nuclear Plants in Seismic and Sea Coastline areas, etc., in several various, parallel but converging moves, shortly before crucial EU Reports and EU Parliament's Debates and Votes expected between February - April 2013.
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Fule was reacting to new French President Hollande's statement on EU - Turkey relations, that Ankara didn't fullfil the EU criteria, mainly on Democracy and Human Rights, but that there was a process of EU - Turkey Negotiations that we'd better continue, as he had said initially to "EuroFora".

- "When and where did he make this remark ?", EU Commissioner Fuhle reacted by asking "EuroFora" to be more specific :

- We reminded the fact that new French President Hollande had told, initially in reply to an explicit "EuroFora" question in Strasbourg, (which had focused on "Democracy and Human Rights" issues, as we had noted then, replying to Hollande's own demand to clarify our point of view), followed, some weeks later, also by a reply to a shorter question by TV Collegue Journalist Pujadas in Paris,

 that Turkey did not meet the necessary EU Criteria, but, nevertheless, the existing process of EU - Turkey Negotiations would continue, (Comp.: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/hollandeoneuturkey.html )

- Indeed, "we (EU) expect from Turkey, as from any other Candidate Country", to respect, "in particular, the Fundamental Freedoms, and Freedom of Expression", etc., agreed in substance Füle.

- And, "here, the (EU) Expectations are very Clear !" That's in substance "what our (EU Comission's) (Annual 2012) Report HighLights",   the competent EU Commissioner stressed.

- "Your visit, today, here (at the CoE), is also Symbolic of that point ?", "EuroFora" invited EU Comissioner Fuhle to confirm.

 - "Absolutely ! That's the strength of our Alliance", as he named the deepening cooperation between the EU and CoE, the PanEuropean Organization for Democracy, Human Rights and Rule of Law, Fuhle replied positively to "EuroFora"'s above-mentioned suggestion,

speaking while walking, side by side, with CoE Parliamentary Assembly's President, French MEP Jean-Claude Mignon, (who has just anounced his forthcoming visit to Turkey), while heading towards a scheduled meeting also with CoE's Secretary General, Thornbjorn Jagland, just before addressing the PanEuropean Assembly's Plenary to debate with MEPs from 47 Countries.

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- However, in general, "Public Support for Turkey's EU Membership is Low" almost everywhere, the competent EU Commissioner on Enlargement and Neighbourhood policy acknowledged, replying earlier to a relevant question by a Turkish collegue, adding that he's "Concerned" about such Popular Opposition.

 + Moreover, "my recent reflexion of the Facts is that the Process itself, of the (EU - Turkey) accession Negotiations has been Stalled !" , Füller denounced.

 - F.ex., "during 5 (EU Council's Rotating) Presidencies, in a row, we have been Unable to open New Chapters" for Negotiations, he pointed out.

 - "And, despite the fact that (EU - Turkey) Negotiations have started a long Time ago, so far, we haven't been able to Open but only 13 Chapters, and permanently close only 1, and (now) we have only 3 Chapters Available to negociate, because other Chapters have been Blocked, 8 of them having been blocked by Consensus of (EU) Member States, based on Recommendations of EU Commission, in Reaction for Turkey not honouring its Commitment to open the (Ankara) Protocol", without Any Discrimination between EU Countries, (i.e. stopping the exclusion of EU Member Cyprus).

- Nevertheless, "I believe in the (EU - Turkey) Negotiation process, and I think that, if we manage to put it back on track, including also many stakeholders, once that we shall have made it clear to the Public that EU continues to be the benchmark for the Turkish Reforms, (then), I'm certain that Support will Increase", (even if he didn't say whether it could ever become sufficient)...

- Meanwhile, "the (so-called) Positive Agenda has not been meant as an answer to this problem. The Positive Agenda has served as creating the momentum, for us to be able to bring negotiations back on track. .. And I'm looking forward to 2013 with a certain Optimism, that we'll be able to Revigorate this (Turkey's) accession process. And I Hope that it will be accompagnied by a stronger support from both sides", Füle speculated.
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 + Speaking later to MEPs in CoE's PanEuropean Parliamentary Assembly's Plenary, Füle anounced that, "Looking to the work on Enlargement that lies ahead, this Spring, EU Commission will publish ...a series of Reports. On the basis of those reports, (EU) Council will consider whether sufficient progress has been made....I look forward to the advancement of accession negotiations with Montenegro, hopefully with Turkey (as he said, with an obvious uncertainty), and also with Iceland after the April elections. The forthcoming year should also see progress in... the launch of a Visa dialogue with Turkey", he added, (the same Day that CoE's Assembly in Strasbourg was debating Turkey's responsibilities in main Flows of illegal immigrants towards the EU via Greece's external EU borders at the Aegean sea (comp. Infra)...

- Replying to Questions by Turkish Cypriot MEP Caglar and Turkish MEP Gundes Bakir against what she called "some (EU Member) Countries' unilateram obstruction of Turkey's accession to the EU", as she called the "Open-Ended process" according to the Official Decisions of many EU Summits, Commissioner Füle reminded, "on the Blocking Chapters", "the important thing is that we have been able to open 13 chapters and close one preliminary chapter".

- "Interestingly, however, we (EU - Turkey) can negotiate only 3 more of the 35 chapters. How come? 8 of the remaining chapters have been blocked Unanimously by all member states based on the recommendation of EU Commission, which took this step a couple of years ago, reacting to Turkey’s Not delivering on its Commitment under the additional protocol to the Ankara agreement. Other chapters, however, have been blocked unilaterally.  It is important to deal with this point". For Five (5 EU Council's rotating) presidencies, we have Not been able to Open any chapters", he acknowledged.

- "We have drawn up a positive Agenda, however, with the aim of creating the momentum to put the accession negotiations on track. That is important because it will keep the process of enlargement with Turkey alive", despite it having been "stalled" as he acknowledged earlier (comp. Supra).

- But, it's true, that, given the notoriously Unpopular character of Turkey's controversial EU bid, "We Must also Change the Tide of Public support", he added. "Most importantly, however, this is the only way to keep the EU as a benchmark for reforms in Turkey", as he said, speaking however after several Setbacks during the recent years, (f.ex. on Media Freedom's violations, Imprisonment of Elected Representatives, etc)

=> The competent EU Commissioner send the ball rolling to Turkey's yard when he observed the fact that "2013" is "a year of Opportunity for Turkey  to reflect not only on the 3 Chapters Open for negotiation", on which EU  "Commission is ready to start discussions tomorrow", "but (also) on the fact that Turkey holds the Key to Unlocking another 8 Chapters", since EU "Commission has proposed to EU member states that they unfreeze those eight chapters the day that Turkey delivers on the additional protocol", (i.e. lifting Discriminations vis a vis EU Member Country, Cyprus).

      -  "Unlike some others, I am not in the business of Playing Games, by Claiming that the EU needs Turkey more than Turkey needs the EU", and so on, even if the well-known controvercy  about an eventual "Turkish membership is (a) crucial" issue , the competent EU Commissioner in charge of EU Enlargement and Neighborhood policy said about the "Open-Ended" EU - Turkey "stalled"  Negotiations, which might head towards full accession or a kind of privileged partnership with the EU, according to many EU Summit's recent decisions. - "But,In this Globalised World, where we are subject to ever greater pressure from a globalised Financial market and the Changing of global Powers, it is important that the EU continues to get Not only Bigger, but also Stronger", (i.e. with a Deeper and more Coherent Integration too), he pointed out, referring to what he called "Enlargement" as "part of EU's DNA", where, not one, but "2 Processes belong to the History of the EU – (which) are not isolated processes (but) interact with each other – : Expanding membership and Deepening Integration".

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 CoE Assembly pinpoints Turkey during "Media Freedom" debate + Resolution vote  :
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=> Significantly, Fuhle's official address to CoE's Assembly took place just before MEPs debate and vote a landmark Report by Swedish MEP Mats Johansson  on "Media Freedom in Europe",  which slams "Turkey" particularly for having "More Journalists in Detention than any other Country in the World".

 - Indeed, CoE's "Assembly is Shocked by the High Number of Journalists imprisoned, Detained or Prosecuted in Turkey for having expressed their Political Opinions and contributed to a Political Debate necessary in a vibrant Democracy". On the contrary, "the Enormous Number of cases has a Paralyzing effect on Turkey's Media environment and journalists", denounces from the outset the Resolution debated and voted by a Crystal-Clear and Strong Majority of 52 against 28 votes.

 - Despite several Paper-"Reforms" that Turkish Authorities are notoriously fond of repeatedly referring to, nevertheless, CoE's Parliamentary "Assembly notes with Concern that previously imposed Detentions still Continue, and on-going Trials continue to be adjudicated by the previous Special Courts", while, f.ex., "the legislative Revision in 2008 of Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code has NOT Resolved the Problem that this article can be applied Unduly against Journalists and others, as stated by the ECHR (case Altung Taner Akcam v. Turkey, 25 Oct. 2011). Therefore, (CoE's) Assembly calls on Turkey to Repeal Article 301 immediately".

+ Moreover, CoE's "Assembly expresses its Deep Concern over the Numerous Criminal Investigations initiated against Journalists ... in particular for having Reported on ... Court Trials" in Turkey. "The sheer Number of Cases is an Indication of a Serious Violation of Media Freedom, also in the light of CoE's Committee of Ministers' Recommendation (2003)13 on the provision of Information through Media in relation to Criminal Proceedings", it denounced.

Turkey is also the only EU Candidate, potential or aspirant EU Candidate Country for which COE Assembly "Condemns the Prosecution, Detention and Imprisonment of Internet users for having expressed Political Criticism of the Government", despite the fact that "Internet Media has widely increased the the possibilities .... to receive and impart Information and Ideas without Interference by Public Authority  and regardless of frontier, in accordance with Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights", while CoE's "assebly Deplores the  Excessive application of Criminal Laws on Defamation, in Azerbaijan and Turkey", "recalling its Resolution 1577 (2007) "Towards DeCriminalization of Defamation".        

+ Since May 2011, a "Turkish Constitutional Court's" ruling resulted into "Extending into 8 Years the possible Opening of Prosecutions against Journalists. In view of the Political Interpretation of various unduly Broad Penal Law provisions, "this Extension has an additional CHILLING Effect on  Media Freedom in Turkey".

=> - "Since 2011 .. the Number of Journalists in Turkish Prisons has almost Doubled", denounces Mats Johansson's Report on Januray 2013, citting also OSCE's 2012 data, which observed an increase "from 57 to 95" journalists jailed.

- According to OSCE's latest (2012) Report on Turkey, to which Johansson refers, Turkish "Courts do Not tend to grant pre-trial Release of defendants", while "there is Concern that arrests and Long Pre-Trial Detentions (i.e. under mere Suspicion !) without conviction,  are Used as a form of Intimidation", given also that "Pre-Trial Detentions remain very Long : In some cases journalists held in prison for up to 3 Years are still awaiting trial. Some journalists have been imprisoned for more than 5 Years while their trial is ongoing" !...

+ In Addition to those jailed, many Hundreds of other Journalists have been subjected to Criminal Investigations, often resulting to the Loss of Employent or Severe Interruption of their Professional Work", CoE's 2013 Report denounces.

- Moreover, "in Turkey, as many as 5.000 WebSites were estimated by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of Media to have been Blocked by order of the Authorities, between 2008 and 2010, in an attempt to enforce Restrictions under an array of Laws on Terrorism, State Security and Insult, which have been widely Criticized as Outdates and Contrary to European Human Rights' standards", Johansson's Report denounces. Even American mainstream websites as "YouTube", "Google" and other popular sites were Blocked", sometimes "for many Years", since the Turkish "Governement Ordered Internet service Providers to Block .... (f.ex.) after Videos were posted .. which (allegedly) denigrated the State's founding figure, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and the Turkish Flag", etc.
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-Concerning the Cold-blood Murder of Armenian-origin Journalist "Hrant Dink in Turkey" on 2007, CoE Assembly's Resolution observes that "it remains Necessary... to further Investigate the personal environment of that Murderer in order to find possible Collaborators", as well as "to Combat Effectively those environments which are Hostile to Media Freedom".

Mats Johansson's 2013 Report reminds also that, already since 2010, CoE's Assembly "Deplored the fact that Turkey had ... Not completed Investigations into the Murder of Hrant Dink, .. especially as regards possible Failures of the (Turkish) Police and Security Forces", while, on "September 2010, the ECHR found a Violation of Articles 2 (Life) and 10 (Freedom of Expression) of the Convention (on Human Rights) by Turkey for Not having Protected Hrant Dink against Death Threats, and for having Violated his Freedom of Expresssion. On .. July 2011", an unemployed Youngster "was convicted .. for the Murder of Hrant Dink, but it remains Unclear whether he acted Alone", or with accomplices/instigators, criticizes today CoE Assembly's Report. In particular, "the MasterMinds of the Killing have Not being Convicted", while "a number of Police, Security officials and others were Prosecuted for various degrees of Involvement in the Murder, but the .. Punishments imposed on Some of them were Light or Trivial, while others Escaped without any penalty at all",

Meanwhile, a recent Reform of the infamous "Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code", by introducing "a Turkish Minister of Justice authorisation of Prosecution, .. seems to Blud the Separation of Powers, between the Judiciary and the Government, and thus may lead to a Politisation of Judicial Investigations and Prosecutions under the unduly Vague but Harsh Article 301", whose "Unacceptably Broad Terms result in Lack of Foreeability as to its effects", as ECHR declared in the case "Altug  Taner Aksam v. Turkey" of October 2011, .... Violating Article 10 of the (PanEuropean) Convention, because it does Not have the required "Quality of Law", CoE's Rapporteur denounces.

Thus, "as long as Article 301 is not Fully Repealed...., the Hostile Political Climate will still exist against Journalists and others writing, in, particular, about the Targeted Mass Killings and Expulsion of Armenians", he warns for the Present and Future.

Curiously, however, that 2013 Report doesn't say anything about Turkey's inevitably suspicious eagerness to "close" on June 2010 the examination by CoE's Committee of Ministers of ECHR's Judgement which had condemned Ankara for the cold-blood Mudrer of dissident Turkish Cypriot Kutlu Adali in the Occupied Territories of Cyprus (1997 : ECHR Judgement of 2005), even without making any efficient Investigation to find what really happened and who was responsible, but simply ...waiting until Ankara picked up the Rotating CoE's chair o Human Rights' meetings, back on June 2010, since when the Adali Murder affair suddenly .. "Vanished" from CoE's Agenda... , without any explanation.

- On " April 2010", in "Turkey", "Matin Alatas,a Reporter from the "Azadiya Welat" Newspaper was found Hanged from a Tree in the District of Adana, in the mainly Kurdish South-Eastern region of Turkey. Collegues reportedly disputed the Official Presumption of Suicide", because "Alatas had receivd Threats and had been Attacked and Injured by a Group of men the previous year", Johansson's Report  however, observes.
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    - CoE's Rapporteur on Media Freedom, Swedish MEP Mats Johansson, concluded by inviting those Turkish MEPs who insisted to "erase" even the slightest remaining Criticism by CoE's official texts to Ankara's Authorities for Violating Media's Freedom, by reminding them that they had "Lost the Votes" of CoE Assembly's Majority already 4 Times in a row, both in Committee and in the Plenary, while, moreover, "we have all noticed that the Turkish delegation itself is Divided over the situation" , as he said.

      -" To conclude the Turkish issue, let me quote a friend of mine, the Chairman of the International PEN club, who recently returned from a fact-finding mission in Turkey:  “What we heard from writer after writer, publisher after publisher, from a wide variety of political backgrounds, was that they were trying to operate in an atmosphere of deep Uncertainty, not knowing whether the words they wrote would produce  Charges or not. What they did know was that if they were charged in any way, it would mean Years of their Lives eaten up by the obscure (Turkish) legal system, the probable Destruction of their Careers, and a Financial Disaster. This uncertainty leads to self-Censorship in Turkey. That is why we say in the PEN club that Freedom of expression in Turkey is being Limited by self-Censorship.”

 - " I could give you many more quotes from tons of documents, studies, reports and witnesses when it comes to Turkey. For those of you who want to receive an update, the latest I have found on the situation in Turkey is a paper put out by the Carnegie Institute, “Press Freedom in Turkey.” My point is that it is written by Mr Marc Pierini, who is not a journalist, a politician or a diplomat; he is the former EU Ambassador to Turkey, but in his present position he is a Free man to speak out about the situation in Turkey. He is much Tougher than anything I have said in my report !", he concluded eliptically..

  Turkish MEPs lost again their bid with a Large Majority in CoE's Assembly voting against their Claims with 54 Votes against 20, at the "hottest" point, (§ 6).

+ CoE's former Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas "Hammarberg said after his visit to Turkey that the conditions in that country Worried him, and the OSCE also referred to such conditions in its report", denounced German MEP Marina Schuster, vice-President of the Liberal Group in CoE's Assembly.

However, it's true that, concerning all 47 CoE Member Countries, Mats Einarsson in Plenary debates, warned  to be Vigilent about the need to protect freedom of speech everywhere, because "..the danger is always present that the political majority in ANY of our member countries will try to interfere with and limit the freedom and independence of the media, not to mention the rights of free speech for all citizens", as he observed.

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+ ECHR's 2012 Stats (revealed on Jan. 2013) :
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 - According to ECHR's latest Statisics for the year 2012, published Today, Turkey again comes First (1st) among all 47 CoE Member States with the Highest Number of Condemnations for Violating the Freedom of Expression, and also of Assembly, etc., even this year, (in addition to various other serious human rights' violations, as since more than 15 years of ECHR's case-law, where a Record-High number of Judgements remains still Pending for Implementation vis a vis CoE's Committee of Ministers).

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CoE's Monitorng Committee's statement denounces "infringements of Fundamental Rights" in Turkey.
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+ Moreover, CoE Assembly's "Monitoring" Committee, (competent to check the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by CoE's Member States), after discussing the recent Visit to Turkey of its Rapporteur, experienced French Socialist MEP Josette Durrieu, denounced the fact that it "remains Concerned by Problems in the administration of  justice (by the Turkish Courts), which constitute Infringements of Fundamental Rights (fair Trial, Freedom of information and Expression, freedom to Demonstrate, etc) and Affect all key political and civil players – Elected representatives, the Press, Academics, Students, Journalists, Military officers and, of course, the Kurds".

+ In an official Statement issued earlier this week in Strasbourg, PACE's competent "Committee also Urges the Turkish authorities to find a legal solution to the Detention on remand of eight (8) members of (National) Parliament (MPs) Elected in June 2011, which obviously Hampers the exercise of their political mandates", (in addition to Thousands of Local/Regional Elected representatives, Political Parties' officials, etc, already Jailed since the 2009 Elections)..

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+ CoE draft Resolution on Kurds, after "Cowardly Murder of 3 Women" Kurdish dissidents in France (PACE President Mignon).
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    - CoE Assembly's President, French ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP Jean-Claude Mignon, "very firmly Condemned what I think that we should call :  "Murder", about those 3 Young Women in Paris, because it really is a Cowardly Murder", as he stressed in reply to a question by a Turkish collegue simply on "an attack against a PKK office in Paris where 3 persons died" while "the Turkish Government was negotiating with the jailed leader of PKK", as he had initially said. + Moreover, Mignon warned Ankara that a CoE Assembly's debate on the Kurdish issue could take place, particularly if the current political deadlock persisted, during the "Next Session" of PACE in Strasbourg (April 2013), "or at the Standing Committee's meeting, at the beginning of March in Paris".

    - Meanwhile, "The conflict around the Kurdish issue in Turkey has assumed alarming dimensions. Over the past 3 years several Hundred people have been killed in numerous clashes and incidents. The number of, mostly Kurdish, political Prisoners in Turkey has risen by several Thousand. More than a hundred Journalists are currently imprisoned. These developments seriously jeopardise democratic progress in Turkey. The conflict could even escalate into a civil War", a Draft Resolution, signed by MEPs from the Left, Socialist, Liberal and ChristianDemocrat/EPP Groups.

    =>  Since "Öcalan (is)a key figure for a peaceful, negotiated solution of the Kurdish issue in Turkey", on  which "Negotiations between the Turkish authorities... and ...Öcalan (the so-called ... Imrali process") between 2009-2011 , generated Hopes, .... he must be Released, and negotiations with him ...must be restarted", they logically conclude, (apparently finding at least strange that the Turkish Government claims to "Negotiate" with a vulnerable Prisoner that it helds in jail for more than a Decade, often totaly isolated)..

    The Draft Resolution, officially anounced at the Plenary by the Head of the Brittish Delegation to the PACE, CoE Assembly's vice-President, Conservative MEP oF the Governing party, Robert Walter (EDG), was initially lodged by the new vice-President of the Socialist Group, and also PACE's vice-President, Belgian MEP  Patrick Moriau, and already signed by many MEPs from Differend Political Groups, (ChristianDemocrats/EPP, Liberals, Socialists, Left, etc, including the President of the European Left, Tim Cox), and from various Countries, (f.ex. Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Norway, Netherlands,  Greece, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Cyprus, Monaco, Moldova, Armenia (incoming CoE's  Committee of Ministers Chair, from May up to November 2013), and even Turkey, etc.

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PACE Draft Resolution slams Turkey for repeatedly Failing to respect Greek Minority Rights in Islands Imbros + Tenedos (Kokceada + Bokceaada) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>>> - Another CoE Assembly's draft Resolution, put in circulation this week in Strasbourg, denounces the fact that "the Greek Minority (in the 2 Islands) has been Denied (by the Turkish Authorities) since 1964 to be taught in its own Language and to reopen its Schools". Moreover, "Article 14 of the Treaty of Lausanne (1922), guaranteeing inter alia Local Administration and the protection of Persons and Property has Never been Implemented" by Turkey, (whose State is, curiously, estabished by that same Treaty of less than 1 Century ago, that it prersists to violate until now : 2013)...

- "in spite of the adoption of Resolution 1625 (in 2008) .....the situation of the Greek minority of the two islands has, Regrettably, Not improved", so that "under Resolution 1704 (2010) ...Turkey was Urged again to Implement" the previous text.  Nevertheless, the "Deteriorated condition of the Greek Minority of the islands, and the Failure of Turkey to Comply with Resolution 1625 (2008) have been highlighted again by Mr Andreas Gross ...in his other report ...debated and adopted by PACE on 2012", i.e. at 3 occasions in a row, both on 2008, 2010 and 2012 (comp. Supra).

=> Therefore, this week also (Jan. 2013) CoE's "Assembly Urges the Turkish Government to proceed to the Implementation ....without further delay, Restituting the Properties of the Greek Minority, and addressing the Needs of the People on the two islands".

CoE had initialy asked on 2008 to "preserv(e) the bicultural character of the two Turkish Islands as a model for co-operation between Turkey and Greece in the interest of the people concerned” also with votes of members of the Turkish Delegation itself", but Ankara failed to fulfill its commitments.

- The Draft Resolution is Signed by MEPs from various CoE Member Countries, from  France, Germany, Italy, the UK, Spain, Netherlands, Monaco, etc., including the Heads of National Delegations of Iceland :  Ms Backman, of Greece : former Foreign Minister Mrs Bakoyani, and Cyprus : Mrs Kyriakides, the deputy Head of the Delegation from Bulgaria : Toshev, former British Deputy Prime Minister  : J. Prescott, as well as the President of CoE's Committee on Migration and Refugees, G. Santini (a ChristianDemocrat/EPP from Italy), the President of CoE Assembly's  EuroLeft Group T. Cox, etc.

+ Speaking to "EuroFora", the Head of the Greek Delegation, former Foreign Minister Dora Bakogianni expressed the hope that the PanEuropean Assembly would nominate a Rapporteur to examine the issue and propose Measures able to convince Turkey to respect, at last, its obligations, and Implement CoE's Resolutions.

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PACE checks Turkey's failure to implement ECHR Judgements for serious violations
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    + Almost at the same time, CoE's Assembly also reportedly hold a Hearing on the problem of Turkey's persistying Failure to comply with the greatest Number of unimpelemnted ECHR's Judgements in the last 15 Years condemning Ankara for exceptionaly Serious Violations of Human Rights, such as Murders, Torture and/or Inhuman/Degrading Treatments, "Missing" Persons, Usurpation of Family Homes and Private Properties of Refugees obliged to flee Turkish Military and hindered to return, Arbitrary Deprivation of Liberty and/or Unfai Trials, Oppression of Freedom of Expression, Demonstration, Assembly and/or Religion, as well as other Minority Rigts, etc.

    The Move came in the framework of a recent CoE Assembly's Resolution on the Implementation of ECHR's Judgements (drafted by the experienced, long-time former President of its Legal and Human Rights Committee, Christos Pourgourides, and adopted by a Strong Majority of MEPs in the Plenary), which had warned the National Delegation of MEPs from each CoE Member Country that it will start to be held each one Responsible for the Failures of its own Government to comply with EuroJudges' rulings.

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Turkey sends the main flows of illegal immigrants to the EU, says CoE Assembly --------------------------------------------

    Turkey's failure to meet its International Law Obligations, to the detriment of the EU, came also at the forefront during a CoE Assembly's "Current Affairs" Debate on  'Mounting Tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean" about "Migration and "Asylum" :  

   
    - CoE's Rapporteur, Dutch MEP Ms Strik, denounced an "Alarming situation" : - "Turkey is the Main Transit country for Migrants heading for Europe, and as Greece is located at the southern border of Europe, it serves as the continent’s Entry point. Its national borders are our common European External Borders, for which we are Collectively Responsible", as she stressed from the outset.

    - Experienced former Foreign Minister, now Head of the Greek Delegation to PACE, MEP Dora Bakogianis, observed that, in order "to portray the issue of illegal immigration, one image will do :  It is the image of a small guardpost of 27, assailed by a Crowd but guarded by just 1 of the 27 Guards. That is the case with Greece. We are responsible for the European border. Greece receives the vast Majority of illegal immigrants who enter the EU. They do not want to stay in Greece; they just want to go through Greece. They know that they will not have a future in Greece, as we are facing a big economic crisis. We live at the crossroads of 3 continents. Greece has a coast that is 16 000 km long – that is equivalent to the circumference of the whole of Africa. Furthermore, we have 1 200 km of mountainous frontiers. We do not only have European borders; we have non-European borders too. The result is that in Greece we are facing a political Problem, as well as the social and economic problems" : People's "Lives have changed and everything has changed. The cities are no longer secure. People cannot walk around the centre of Athens. They do not recognise their own city", she denounced.

    - "This problem has to be Shared. We cannot pay for Europe's Frontiers with only a small contribution from the EU. We are made responsible for that but we are criticised. We need a common European migration Policy", she stressed, addressing her speach mainly to "those who are surrounded by EU Countries", instead of facing Turkey's porous borders.

     - Speaking on behalf of the European Democrat Group in CoE's Assembly, the President of its Legal/Human Rights Committee, Brittish Conservative MEP Chope, said "an Anecdote :  When we visited a Detention centre, I asked to talk to someone who spoke English. I chatted to one of about 30 or 40 people ...He was about 22 or 23. He said he had come from Afghanistan, having paid $8 000 – he thought that was a bargain-basement price – to be transported across Iran and Turkey, from where he was going to take a boat to the east coast of Italy, thereby avoiding Greece. The boat foundered, but fortunately for him he did not lose his life; ...He was arrested by the Greek authorities and put in a detention centre. He told me that he wanted to go to London, and I asked him why. He said, “I want to go to London, because I was there 6 Months ago. I had been in London for 5 Years”... The UK authorities had eventually deported him and put him on a plane back to Afghanistan ! That person was not in need of humanitarian assistance; he was playing the system to try to get into the UK against the wishes of the UK Government and in breach of international law", as he denounced.

    - "It is a Mistake ... to equate such a person with someone fleeing Persecution in Syria: we must Distinguish between the two. I regret that the report does not say much about our visit to the vice-admiral in charge of the Hellenic coastguard, because he had some horrific stories about people off the Turkish Aegean Sea coast. Those people are getting into a boat with Instructions about how to puncture their boat close to a Greek island, knowing that the Greeks will Rescue them and take them to a centre. Surely such people should be Detained and Returned .... There is a real crisis in that Greece cannot return those illegal migrants to their own countries, because it cannot get agreements with such places as Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. I have tabled amendments to try to introduce more balance into the recommendations, so that we can help those in need of humanitarian assistance, while penalising those who play the system for their own gain.

    =>  – What is Turkey doing to help counter illegal trafficking?", asked the President of CoE Assembly's Legal and Human Rights Committee, Brittish Conservative MEP Chope.  - "It was only in 2012 that it (Turkey) changed its Visa regime so that it is now possible to travel for about £50 from North Africa into Istanbul, and then engage in an illegal Smuggling network to try to get across the Aegean Sea (Greece) into the European Union", he denounced.

     - "Thousands of migrants irregularly enter Greece every year, mostly transiting through Turkey. ...The European Union, especially through Frontex (EU's External Frontiers Agency) and European CoastGuards, also has an important role to play", urged French MEP Rouquet.

     - "Turkey should have better control over its frontier with Europe", stressed French MEP Ms Fort.

     - But, on the contrary, Turkish MP Gundes Bakir, found that "Europe's Border in the East, is not at the Turkish-Greek border, but at the Turkish-Syrian border", (also facing Iraq and Iran)...

    The Turkish MP also rejected European calls for Turkey to stop hindering the application of UNO's Geneva Treaty on Refugees and Asylum seekers from 3rd Countries, claiming that it was Ankara's "right" to refuse UNO's Refugee legal protection to People fleeing violence in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, the Middle East, etc.  

      - "We (Europe) should work with Greece through (EU's External Frontiers' service) "Frontex" and its operations at the Greek-Turkish Frontier. That practical support is very important", stressed however Brittish MEP Neil.

     - Greek MEP Tzakri, denounced the fact that "in 2005, (i.e. shortly after EU - Turkey Negotiations started) the picture started to Change. Greece became the centre of an Immigration Crisis as Hundreds of Thousands of immigrants flowed into the country from all over the World, especially from Asia, Africa and the Middle East,...They saw Greece as ..a Gateway to Europe. Greece, of course, could not deal successfully with this great problem. To understand the problem in terms of numbers, in 2011, we arrested almost 100,000 people, and that is only a small fragment of the big picture. Turkey, as always, did Not co-operate with the Greek authorities", she denounced. .

     - Only "in 2010, 132 000 irregular migrants were stopped along the border with Turkey. Furthermore, 90% of the migrants who want to come into Europe are stopped at our border. Those figures come from the FrontEx report. There are 600 000 undocumented people in Athens. Imagine the problem that that creates", pointed out Greek MEP Pipili.

    - "The need for support is Exacerbated by the current difficult economic situation in Greece, ....as the Flow of new entrants into the country Exceeds its capacity to provide appropriate facilities and services. ...No country can take an Unlimited number of new Entrants, and it is the reason  (for) ..an effort to highlight the Differences between people trying to enter another country for Economic, social or other reasons, and people fleeing Humanitarian crisis, War or Persecution", pointed out Brittish MEP Angela Watkinson.

     - "Turkey, as the main Transit country, ...already hosts a very large and growing number of refugees from Syria, many of whom will want to enter the EU via Greece", Watkinson warned.

    - "Turkey ... has its Responsibilities because Thousands of people Cross Turkey to get to the Aegean islands or to the border at Evros. All that is taking place in silence", denounced Greek MEP Marias.

    - "...work with Greece through FrontEx and its operations at the Greek-Turkish frontier...is very Important", stressed MEP Neill.

    - CoE Assembly's Rapporteur, Dutch MEP Ms Strik, denounced the fact that "the CoE Urged Turkey to lift the geographical limitation (excluding from UNO's Treaty on Refugees all People coming from 3rd Countries), because the limitation means that only refugees that flee from Europe to Turkey can ask for asylum and be granted protection status. That is the Opposite of what is Needed. I do not think there are a lot of refugees coming from Europe, but there are a lot coming from other parts of the world, and Turkey should take its share in this", she stressed.

       - "I am asking for" "a Re-admission protocol between Greece and Turkey, which was signed in 2010, ...to be Honoured", stressed the President of COE Assembly's Legal/Human Rights Committee, Brittish Conservative MEP Alexander Chope.

 - Because "there were 728 Readmissions in 2011, but Only 105 (sic !) in 2012. That is why we had strong representations from the Greek authorities during our visits that the Turks were Not Honouring this agreement", as he critically observed.
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>>> "Turkey ... has become the main country of Transit for mixed Flows of Irregular Migrants, asylum seekers and refugees seeking to enter the European Union", denounces the Resolution adopted by CoE's Assembly.

- "The main flow from Turkey is in the direction of Greece", initially, but the "persons caught up in these mixed migratory flows are not intending to stay in Turkey or in Greece when they arrive; they are primarily looking to reach EU member States other than Greece", while, "without sufficient support for this humanitarian crisis, there is a great Risk of political Destabilisation in the country", CoE warned.

- " Greece currently does not have the capacity, the expertise, the resources or the political and social stability to deal with the Scale of Problems it is facing. Other countries in the region, such as Malta, face some of the same problems.... The process of European unity and the Common European Asylum System is based on Solidarity and Mutual support. Without this the process is Void of meaning and cannot succeed. .... A major Re-evaluation is therefore Required, taking into account that the problem is a(n) EU problem requiring a European Union response with Support from its member States".

=> In this context, CoE's "Assembly ....calls on Turkey to : ...2. .. Improve the conditions of Detention of irregular migrants and asylum seekers;.. 3.  .. Reform (its)Asylum system, (including by) ..a Draft Law on Foreigners and International Protection ...; ..4. Remove the geographic Reservation Restricting its Obligations under the 1951 UNO Convention relating to the status of Refugees ...;...5. Honour its agreement with Greece for the Return of migrants who have entered Greece without authority, from Turkey, ...", (etc).

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PACE slams plans for Nuclear plants in Seismic areas of Sea Coasts, as planned by Turkey
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+ Meanwhile, in addition to the obvious Risks of Nuclear Proliferation, particularly dangerous around the Middle East area, given also the special and often controversial relations between Turkey and Iran or Pakistan (a notorious counter-example of abuse of Nuclear Technology for the construction of Nuclear Bombs), a draft Resolution signed by allmost all the political leaders of CoE's Paneuropean Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) strongly condemns any attempt to build "Nuclear Power Plants in areas of High Seismic Risks", particularly on Sea Coasts.

The move naturally refers also to recent "Earthquakes in Japan and the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster", which "raise Serious Doubts about the effectiveness of Probabilistic Sesismic Hazard Assessments advocated by the IAEA", while Turkey notoriously searches anew ways to build Nuclear Plants at its particularly Seismic Anatolia Plateau's Northern or Southern Sea Coasts, even after the 2011 Fukushima  and the 1999 Istanbul-Izmit (more than 20.000 Poor People killed) Deadly and destructive under-Sea triggered Earthquakes :

The 2012 draft Resolution recently lodged at the PACE in Strasbourg, asks "Meadures to Ban any Construction of Nuclear Plants in Areas with a High Seismic Risk", as well as "Criteria for the Prevention of Radioactive Pollution of Sea Bassins".

Many mainstream and Top MEPs denounce that "Many Nuclear Power Plants ate Built on Sea or Ocean Coasts, or other Water Bassins, carrying a High Risk of Radioactive Pollution of Large Areas in the event of Nuclear Accident", and point also to the "Fact that 20% of current Nuclear Power Plants in the World are operating in Areas of High Seismic Activity".  

But the above mentioned Resolution also "underlines that the protection of Human beings, human Society as a whole and human Health in particular, as well as of Biodiversity, Agricultural areas and Water resources, should be given the highest Priority over any economic interest", and Warns  that "Nuclear Pollution would have a very Serious and Long-lasting negative Effect on Large Areas".

=> Therefore, "building of Nuclear Power Plants in areas of high Seismic Risk is Not Acceptable for the common interest of Society and Humankind as a whole", the PACE draft Resolution concludes, "call(ing) upon (CoE's) Committee of Ministers to invite member States to co-operate actively and diligently in Implementing" such principles.

The landmark Text is very Strongly backed, since it's exceptionally Signed by almost All Presidents of CoE Assemly's Political Groups (Luca Volonté : Head of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, Andreas Gross : Head of Socialists, Tiny Cox : Head of EuroLeft, and Anne Brasseur : Head of Liberals, etc), as well as by many Mainstream MEPs from the Governing Parties in various CoE Member Countries all over Europe : F.ex. L. Tochev (Bulgaria, ChristianDemocrat/EPP and Group's vice-President), J. Hörster (Head of the German Delegation, ChristianDemocrat/EPP + vice-President), P. Agramunt from Spain (ChristianDemocrat/EPP and Group's vice-President), M. Braun from Hungary (ChristianDemocrat/EPP and Group's Treasurer), etc.. But its Signatories, mainstream MEPs are also Widespread througout many other CoE Countries, as, f.ex., the  U.K. (Lord éTomlinson and A. Meale Vice-President of Socialist Group, etc), Nethelands, Germany, Estonia, Lithuania, Moldova, Georgia, Italy, Malta, Monaco, etc.)