

Scheduled EU Parliament's Vote on critical Resolution on Turkey ... vanishes mysteriously !
*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- Just After the German Elections (but still Before the Austrian a.o.), suddenly, an Expected, officially Announced, and even initialy Registered, EU Parliament's draft Resolution on the "Hot" Issue of Turkey, litteraly ..."Disappeared", out of sight, withOut Any clear Explanation, and Sine Die...
A very Critical MEPs' Debate on the Massive Oppressions inside Turkey and its provocative relations to Europe had been organized during the Last EU Parliament's full Plenary Session in Strasbourg, back on September 2017, i.e. shortly Before the crucial German Elections, (where Criticism on Ankara had Topped even the 2 Leading Candidates' TV Public Discussion around the ways to End Turkey's controversial and UnPopular EU bid), See : ... .
As it had been Decided, and officially Anounced then, in Conclusion of this Debate, a Resolution on EU - Turkey future relations would be Voted and Adopted during the Next EU Parliament's full Plenary Session in Strasbourg, i.e. on "October I".
This was even Registered at least in a Draft Agenda for the present Session, which, indeed, mentioned the Vote of a Resolution on the "Relations between the EU and Turkey", initially Scheduled for Wednesday, 4 October 2017, (according to EU Parliament's relevant Official Documents updated on 27 September 2017).

But, suddenly, at the latest since a Subsequent Draft Agenda, Dated from Wednesday 29 September 2017, ... Any Mention (even the slightest) of that matter, ... Disappears from EU Parliament's new Documents !
I.e., obviously, Something happened Before EU Parliament's Plenary session's Opening Day in Strasbourg, on Monday October 2, and, therefore, Before and WithOut any Transparent, Public Debate about that Issue, (which was Not Mentioned at all during the previous regular Press Briefing of Monday early Afternoon, here).
+ Moreover, astonishingly, even several among EU Parliament's most Experienced MEPs, (questioned now by "Eurofora"), apparently Ignored what really happened with that, and why...
++ Surprisingly, even some Top MEPs, among the Leaders of mainstream Political Groups, said to "Eurofora" that it was Not at all certain that such a Resolution might, at least, pass for Vote at the Next, "October II" Plenary Session in Strasbourg, after two Weeks Time. Not even for a Much Later Date, f.ex. on November !
=> When such a Big Flagship "PackBoat" Issue suddenly Vanishes withOut any explanation, inside EU Parliament, and Contrary to previous Official Decisions, repeated more than bis (Comp. Supra), then, inevitably, Legitimate Questions are raised.
Notoriously, finally Anodynous, purely Verbal Criticism of Turkey, withOut any concrete Consequence on Ankara's controversial and unpopular EU bid, has been already Used, f.ex. Before the Recent Dutch Elections, with obvious aims :
Very Mediatic Declarations with a so-called "Criticism" of Turkey's policies, (and with had a blatant Complicity by Ankara's Government, which multiplied Verbal Provocations, etc), had suddenly Surfaced, then, in the Netherlands, until its Governing "Liberal" Party and others Limited the Loss of Votes in the Elections, after which, ...Nobody spoke again about such matters...
Something Similar Surfaced also during the German Elections of September 24, when even the Socialist Candidate, former Long-Time MEP and f. EU Parliament's President Martin Schultz, in his TV Debate with Chancellor Angie Merkel, from the ChristianDemocrats/EPP, suddenly made a Spectacular "U - Turn", asking to "Stop" the EU - Turkey controversial and unpopular "Acession" Negotiations as such : I.e., a stance that Schulz had Never adopted before, despite many occasions, during his long EU career (i.e. practicaly since 1994)... Such a Move, perhaps, Limited the Loss of Voters towards the Right by the Socialists, who Otherwise, obviously Risked to Fall even Lower than 20%, at the "1O and something" category, (i.e. Similar to AfD's 13%), while the ChristianDemocrats/EPP, (Traditionally Sceptical against Turkey's EU bid) remained at least Steady on 33%+.
Nowadays, it might obviously be the on-going Coalition-searching Negotiations, including, in Addition to the CDU and Liberals, also the "Greens", who, this time, pushed at the forefrTurkish-origin and Turkey-Born Zem Ozdemir (an Initially "Socialist" fan, until a series of Financial, Sex, a.o. Scandals, which eliminated his initial Mentor, Rudolf Sharping on 2002, after, however, having pushed on EU's shoulders the Weight of Expensive and Clumsy, Problematic "A400M" Military Transport Airplane, backed mainly by Turkey and the UK).
In this and Many Other Cases, it's obvious tha the Medias of the Establishment are recently seeking to Boost the Impression of a lot of so-called "Good Turks", in Contrast with "Bad" Erdogan, as if some of them were pre-destinated to take over, in one way or another, after an eventual departure of Erdogan, in a possibe attempt to Limit the Turkish GeoPolitical and Cultural issue into a Merely Personal one, Open to any Opportunist Manipulation, at one or another moment....
But, then, at least, ...Austria (scheduled to Vote in National Elections on October 15) does not matter so much ?....
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People in Europe and the World expect from CoE to make a succes of its "Monitoring" for Human Rights and Democracy, despite difficulties, said Finland's President Tarja Halonen to "EuroFora" at a crucial moment for the mecanism built 15 years ago by the paneuropean organization which celebrates its 60th Anniversary in 2009.
Halonen, known as "Mother" of CoE's "Monitoring" mecanism, a long-time MEP and former Foreign Minister before becoming Finland's President, holds a long experience in the mattter, after also serving twice as CoE and EU Chairwoman in the past. That's why she is well placed to judge how CoE's "monitoring" should deal today with some crucial issues of importance both to CoE and to the EU.
The move came just a Month before a crucial, last visit to Turkey, scheduled for June, by the President of CoE''s "Monitoring" Committee, Ukranian MEP Serge Holovaty, to finalize his Report on Ankara, the CoE Member State with the longest Monitoring procedure. From its results depends its overall credibility.
This is a Test-case, because, in fact, it's in order to avoid Sanctions threatened against Turkey by a CoE's Assembly's April 1995 Resolution for grave Human Rights violations, Democracy gaps, the continuing Military Occupation in Cyprus, the unresolved Kurdish problem, Aegean differend with Greece, etc., that MEPs decided to create, for the 1st time on April 1996, a "Monitoring" proces, allegedly destinated to check, without excluding Countries who did not fulfill all CoE's standards.
In the Past, the obliged withdrawal of Greece's Military regime and of its "Civil" cover-up out of the CoE had helped bring back Democracy in 1974. But, on the contrary, since April 1996, the idea was to "monitor" Human Rights' respect while keeping most concerned Countries inside the CoE. After Turkey's oldest example, this was extended also to several former "Eastern" European Countries, even if CoE's Assembly has imposed to some of them (fex. Ukraine, Russia, etc., after Belarus, Serbia, etc) various "Sanctions", that Ankara always avoided. Curiously more succesful even than .. USA itself, (a CoE "Observer" since 1995), which has been at least threatened with sanctions some years ago..
EU-effects of CoE's Monitoring process became obvious between 2001-2008, since the "closure" of this procedure, when CoE felt that a Country had met most of its Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law obligations, (i.e. the "Copenhagen Criteria" for the EU), helped trigger Negotiations with the EU for "Accession" or other closer relations : This occured already before the 2004 and 2007 EU Enlargements to former "Eastern" European Countries, as well as for the commencement of "accession" negotiations with Croatia, and of "open-ended" negotiations with Turkey in 2005.
But a stricking new development are Holovaty's recent findings that on core Human Rights issues as Torture and Freedom of Expression, Turkey, even "5 Years after" CoE closed its "Monitoring", back in 2004, inciting EU to start accession Negotiations in 2005, still presents grave problems.
His findings are of crucial importance after a 2008 CoE Resolution called, "if need be", to "seriously consider the possibility of Re-Opening the Monitoring procedure for Turkey" : A move which might affect Ankara's controversial EU bid, since EU Accession Negotiations are based on the Hypothesis that the Candidate fullfils the "Copenhagen Criteria" (See above)..
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Holovaty expressed his will to check "Matters still Outstanding" and those that he "didn't have an opportunity to discuss" at an earlier visit this year, "in order to discuss the more complex issues in greater depth", at his forthcoming New Visit to Ankara, before the December 2009 EU Summit. This is all based on the 2004 CoE Resolution which stresses that, CoE "will continue.. post-monitoring Dialogue with the Turkish authorities,...in addition to a 12-points list,..and on any Other Matter that might arise in connection with Turkey’s Obligations as a CoE member state".
CoE's Resolution also asks from Turkey "to secure the proper Implementation of Judgements, particularly in the Cyprus v. Turkey InterState case", of 2001, which concerns also the plight of many Hundreds of MISSING People. It adds Turkey's obligations to "execute" ECHR's Judgements in the Loizidou case,..and in particular adopt General Measures to avoid repetition or continuation of Violations found by the Court" to the detriment of Refugees.
Nevertheless, Holovaty said to "EuroFora" that "MISSING" persons,"might be included" and cannot be excluded, but he has yet to examine the situation "to find out which issues will be raised" to the Turkish Government.
Therefore, "EuroFora" asked Halonen, as the Historic "Mother" of CoE's Monitoring mecanism, if she thought that, "whenever there are grave Human Rights Violations, as fex. "MISSING" persons, attested even by ECHR's judgements, they should be always checked by a Monitoring process. Or could they be forgotten ?"
- "We (CoE) must be, at the same time, Fair, Realistic, but not in the mind that "now we have Forgotten", etc., replied to "EuroFora"'s question Halonen, speaking as a matter of general principle.
- "When we think of those People that are suffering from the lack of Democracy, of Human Rights, and of the Rule of Law", "we should find a base on how to deal with the (Monitoring) system more rapidly"', she stressed.
- "Sometimes it's very difficult to combine Transparency and Effectivenes together, particularly in this specific case", she went on to say. But, "I have not found a (CoE Member) Country who could be insensitive in this sens", Halonen answered concerning grave Human Rights violations attested by the ECHR.
- "I have no ready-made answer. I have the expectations that you, in the CoE, will, step by step, find the different types of the monitoring systems."
Also "because this is a part of the UN's Post-Conflict system, (fex. when it comes to Cyprus' MISSING persons), and it's a more Global system". So that, "If we make a succes in Europe, the others will follow", throughout the World. "But they expect that we (Europe) are this opportunity, this Opportunity to make a Succes", Halonen concluded.
In addition, she advised to extend CoE's Monitoring to all its 47 Member States, "because, as long as we hear that, all these monitoring systems are "OK for the neighbor, but not for me", "it's very difficult" to understand. Something which could make easier to Compare...
Finnish MEP Jaako Laakso, former CoE Rapporteur on the Occupied Territories of Cyprus and one of the 5 Signatories of the Historic CoE's call to create the "MONITORING" mecanism since 1996, was more specific : - "We (CoE Assembly) have to find a way for the issue of Cyprus' MISSING People to be better followed", he stressed, anouncing his intention to "speak to Mr. Holovaty" about that. "There might be also other ways", added Laakso.
- The 2008 "Year had been a very Bad one for Turkey with regard to Human Rights in general, and Freedom of Expression in particular", denounced, meanwhile, Holovaty's preliminary Post-Monitoringh Draft Report by Holovaty, published by the CoE on April 2009.
"Amnesty International believes that freedom of expression is not guaranteed given the various articles of the Criminal Code that restrict it. .. "For example, 1,300 Websites are said to have been closed down by the (Turkish) authorities in 2008" ! While "the new Turkish Criminal Code was used to bring a total of 1,072 proceedings between June 2005 and April 2008, and led to the conviction of 192 people", for expressing views. "Representatives of the Özgür Gündem newspaper, which specialises in Kurdish affairs, ..complained about Numerous Attacks on their Freedom of Expression ...as was everyone who advocated a settlement to the question by means other than the intervention of the army" "According to their figures, 19 Newspapers had been suspended 43 times between 4 August 2006 and 4 November 2008" !...
Moreover, on 2008, CoE's "Ministers adopted its 4rth Resolution on the execution of the judgments of the ECHR, ...and outstanding issues regarding 175 Judgements and decisions relating to Turkey delivered between 1996 and 2008... concerning Deaths resulting from the excessive use of force by members of the Security forces, the failure to protect the right to life, the DIisappearance and/or death of individuals, Ill-Treatment and the Destruction of property". CoE's " Ministers urged the Turkish authorities ...to ensure that members of Security forces of all ranks can be prosecuted without administrative
authorisation" for "serious crimes". Holovaty reminded.
"Nonetheless", Holovaty heard anew of "Several cases of Violence committed last year (2008) by the (Turkish) security forces". Amnesty International speaks of Many Cases of ill-treatment and Torture in the prisons and by the police". "Including, fex."'the death of Engin Ceber, a young man of 29 who died on October 2008 as a result of the TORTURE allegedly inflicted on him by police officers, prison staff and members of the gendarmerie. He was part of a group of people arrested on September 2008 during a demonstration and Press Conference in Istanbul'. Proceedings against suspects are "on-going" in this case.
- " I therefore noted an Obvious Contradiction between the Government’s stated “zero tolerance” policy.... of Torture and other forms of ill-treatment, and the different testimonies given", denounced CoE's Rapporteur. Turkish "authorities must make considerable efforts to guarantee that proper investigations are carried out into allegations of abuses by members of the security forces and that perpetrators are effectively punished" "In this respect, I have requested detailed Statistics on the number of Investigations, acquittals and convictions in cases involving allegations of abuse in order to show the positive impact of the measures taken to date", Holovaty said, repeating a permanently unsatisfied CoE's demand to Turkey since a Decade...
- "The Political Crisis that shook the country in the spring of 2008 highlighted the Weaknesses of the (Turkish) Constitution", which comes from the Military regime of 1982, "and the Urgent Need of Reforms", stressed from the outset CoE's Rapporteur in 2009. In particular, "the ...Democratic functioning of state institutions, including the independence of the judicial system, are crucial", he observes.
But, "the Electoral system and the ways in which it is circumvented do not appear to give those elected complete Legitimacy, and tend to pervert the course of direct universal suffrage", denounces Holovaty, observing that, even 5 Years later, Turkey did not yet change the 10% nationwide Threshold for a party to take any seat, which is "far higher" than the "3%" maximum in Europe and already condemned as contrary to European Standards by the CoE.
+ Moreover, EU Parliament's 2009 Report on Turkey, drafted by Dutch MEP Ria Oomen-Ruijten and adopted in Strasbourg on March, expresses "Concern over the Failure of the (Turkish) Judiciary to prosecute cases of Torture and Ill-treatment, the Number of which is Growing". EU also "is concerned about continuing Hostility and Violence against Minorities" in Turkey. It also "calls on the Turkish Government to launch, as a matter of Priority, a Political Initiatve favouring a lasting Settlement of the Kurdish issue, (while "condemning violence.. and terrorist groups"). EU "regrets that No progress has been made on establishing full, systematic Civilian suprevisory functions over the (Turkish) Military".
The final results of Holovaty's 2nd and last visit to Turkley will be known later this year, and, at any case, before EU's December 2009 Summit.