

CoE Chair, Greek alt.Foreign Minister Varvitsiotis at PACE: Turkey anew Fires up SEMed EU Energy Hub

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- Ankara's new acts These Days "again Fired up" an already "Hotspot" at unique EU Energy Resources in South-Eastern Mediterranean, Violating the Latest EU Summit's and even UNO's Resolutions, Denounced CoE's Pesident-in-office, Greek Minister for European Affairs, Militiadis Varvitsiotis, who was the invited Key-note Speaker at the Opening of CoE Parliametay Assembly's (PACE) Permanent Committee"s session (of Equal Status with its Full Plenaries), Today in Strasbourg.
+ This was the 1st move in a Long Series of various also Other CoE's Rejections of Akara's Latest Negative Activities, anew in Cyprus, even at Caucasus' Nagorno-Katabach, Against Opposition inside Turkey itself, etc., where CoE Assembl'y's MEPs quasi-Unanimously Rejected Turkish MP's failed Attempts to Block Public Debates, and/or Resolutions, Reports, etc., by Strasbourg's PanEuropean, 47 Member Countries-strong Organisation, (See Infra).
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- "Everybody has Felt, during the Past Few Months, the Tension that has occured in the South-Eastern Mediterranean", he reminded. And also, "Felt Relief after the Meeting of Greek and Turkish Foreign Ministers Dendias and Cavusogloy) Last Week in Bratislava, when they (had) Decided that the Preliminary Talks wlll Immediately Start", he added. speaking on "Recent Developments".
+ But, Meanwhile, "Unfortunately, a New (Turkey's) illegal "NAFTEX" was Issued Last Night (Sunday, 11.10.2020), that Announced illegal Survey, South of Castelorizo, on Greece's Continental Shelf, just 6,5 Nautical Miles from the Greek Shores, is an Action that, actualy Fires up, again, the Situation in the Region", he Denounced.
+ Earlier, Ankara had Also Issued anOther NAFTEX for its "Barbaros" (sic !) Drilling Ship, illegaly inside EU Member Cyprus' EEZ, escorted by Turkish WarShips, from 15/9 up to 12/10 included...
+ "Together with the Opening of the Varoshe Seafront in Cyprus, these are 2 Signs, which occured during the Last Few Days, that (Turkey is) are actualy Violating International Law and all UN Security Council Resolutions", Varvitsioties pointed out.
+"Also, these Actions are Contravening the Latest Resolutions of the European Council (on October 1st), which reaffirm its Commitment to a Comprehensive Settlement of the Cyprus' Problem, within the UN Framework, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions 550 (precisely on Famagusta) and 7089", (See : ...., etc)
=> - In Consequence,"Also this Time, We (CoE) have to Call on Turkey to Immediately Cease All illegal Actions, through which it is Systematicaly Undermining the Peace and Security in the Region", Cocluded CoE's President-in-office, speaking at PACE's Opening.
- "EU has a Strategic General Interest for Stability in the Eastern Mediterranean", (where are Currently located the Biggest Potential Energy Resources of Europe, after the Decline of Northern Sea's deposits), have clearly Stressed from the outset EU's 27 Heads of State/Government, on October 1st Summit in Brussels.
+ From these and other Recent Events clearly results that "We (CoE) have Faced, during the Past Few Weeks, since our (CoE's) Last Meeting, several Incidents that actually show that there is a <<Heat>> in the Region, Not Only at the Periphery of Europe, But also Among Member States of the CoE", Varvitsiotis noted.
- If on Belarus, "the situation has Not Dramaticaly Changed", until this October 12, nevertheless, on Nagorno-Karabah, "We (CoE) Welcomed a Cease-Fire", (after Many Soldiers and Civilian People Killed recently), with "Our full Commitment to a Peaceful Solution of the Problem", and "the Implication of the Minsk Group", (France, Russia, USA), he noted, inter alia.
+ Later Today, 47 Member States (including Russia)-strong CoE's PanEuropean Parliamentary Assembly, Voted, with a Large Majoriy, in favour of Holding a Public Debate on the "Armed Conflict" in that area, clearly Rejecting a Turkish Attempt to Block any such Discussion in Strasbourg.
=> During the Long CoE's Debate which Followed, Many MEPs from Various Countries and Political Horizons, strongly Denounced, inter alia, particularly Turkey's Notorious move to Export at the Caucasus a lot of Foreign Armed Gangs of Islamist "Jihadist" Terrorists from Non-European Countries, such as Syria and/or Libya, etc.
These Same Days, indeed, at least a Number of them (reportedly coming from Syria) already Started to Attack Russia's Chechnya Region, Killing several Poicemen, before they were subdued. And several COE's MEPs clearly Warned that Similar Risks may, sooner or later, Threaten even Directly the EU itself, in one way or another, (f.ex. at EU's External Borders in Greece, Italy or France, etc, Facing Turkey and/or Libya, etc).
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++ Replying to a MEP's Question about what Europe should do in order to Stop the "Negative" role of "Turkey in too Many Conflicts" in the area : Syria, Iraq, Libya, Cyprus, Greece, Nagorno-Karabach, etc., Varvitsiotis, naturaly, did not deny those Facts, but reminded that, as CoE's Chair, he was obliged to keep a quasi-Unanimous stance.
Therefore, on this point, as Minister in charge of European Affairs, he referred to a relevant Today's Statement, at EU's Foreign Ministers' meeting in Brussels, of his collegue, Greece's Foreign Minister, Mr. Dendias, that, Indeed, "in All Problematic Situations throughout the Area, (Cyprus, Syria, Iraq, Libya, Greece, Irregular Migrants/Mass Asylum Seekers, Eastern Mediterranean energy, Nagorno-Karabach, etc), we Find Always Turkey ! And, that's the Problem..."
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+++ Turkey was clearly Isolated Also in 2 Other CoE Assembly's Votes, where a Big Majority of MEPs also Rejected Ankara MPs' Attempts to Hinder even anOther Debate, (this time with Resolution) on a "New Crack Down" against "Opposition"'s Human and elementary Democraic Rights inside Turkey :
- "Not Only Aggressing several Neighbouring Countries, Turkey Also Oppresses those People who dare Contest such acts, Inside its own Population", Critical CoE's MEPs denounced.
+ AnOther Failed Ankara's attempt vainly searched to Block a CoE Assemly's projected Move on the Recent illegal Opening of Occupied Famagusta "Ghost Town"'s Seafront, in a Provocative Violation of UN SC's Resolutin 550, which clearly Reserves that Protected Area for the Return of its Lawful Owners among the Original, Over-Millenary Population of Greek Cypriot Refugees, obliged to leave since the 1974 Ankara's Military Invasion and still persisting Armed Occupation of the Northern Territories of Cyprus. PACE's MEPs, indeed, Also Voted, quasi-Unanimously to Examinate that Topical Issue of Both Political and Human Rights' value.
(../..)
("Draft-News")
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EU Rapporteur on Enlargment Strategy, maistream German MEP Elmar Brok, speaking to "EuroFora", welcomed the proposal made earlier this week by French President Nicolas Sarkozy for the EU to"start Now Talks with Turkey to create a common Economic and Security area", instead of full Accession, at a period when Ankara looks more and more unfit and/or unwilling to respect EU conditions.
- "For Europe to have strong Political will, it must stop dilutiing itself in an endless Enlargement. It must have borders...Diversities enrich, on the condition that they don't undermine European Cohesion, and don't weaken EU Unity", Sarkozy stressed.
- "Countries like Turkey share a part of common destiny with Europe, with which they have a vocation to build a Privileged Relation, to be closely associated, but not to become Member of the EU" : "Noone respects his friends by telling them lies. Noone respects his friends by making them promises that will be never kept", he added.
That's why "we'd better start, from now, negotiating with Turkey to create a common Economic and Security area", Sarkozy proposed.
Significantly, the French President was repeatedly and largely applauded by EU citizens, 3 times, when he made the Turkey point, (strategically placed between Europe's "Political Will" and its cultural heritage, historically open to mutually enriching dialogue with all the World, but never diluted).
- "We could propose such a great ambition also to Russia, which must not be percieved as an Adversary of Europe, but as a Partner. Thus, we'd create a wide area, of more than 800 Million inhabitants, sharing the same Security, the same Prosperity", he concluded.

Sarkozy's move was anounced at the eve of a Franco-German Top meeting with Chancellor Angie Merkel in Berlin on Sunday, to jointly launch the EU Elections campain, after an EU Summit at nearby Prague, to launch a new kind of relations, called "Eastern Partnership", with neighboring countries such as Urkaine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaidjan, etc, (to which Russia, reportedly, is not - and does not want to be - included).
As for Ukraine, which has already expressed her wish to join the EU in future, "Kiev will have a special place, and a very important role to play", replied earlier this week in Strasbourg, to an "EuroFora" question EU Chairman in office , Czech vice-Prime Minister Alexander Vodra.
- "This direction is more Realistic for Turkey than Accession negotiations", reacted immediately EU Parliament's Rapporteur for Enlargment Strategy, mainstream German MEP Elmar Brok, commenting Sarkozy's idea for "EuroFora"
Particularly "as far as it concerns the respect of EU Rules by both sides", he added, hinting at Turkey's now obvious inability and/or unwillingness to abide with EU Acquis, EU Commitments (fex. on Cyprus, etc), and European Democracy/Human Rights rules. (Comp. infra).
Brok added that, in his view, a similar proposal might be made also to Ukraine and other neighbouring Countries, regardless if they have, or not, a "European vocation". This would not necessarily mean that there couldn't be any accession prospects at all." for all the countries that might be included in this area, according to Brok. But it's preferable, particularly for Turkey, "because it's a more Realistic approach than full Membership".
On this point, Sarkozy's proposal, (which he'll share with German Chancellor Merkel), seems more crystal-clear.

- "Turkey does not fullfil EU Criteria, and will never fullfil EU Criteria" on Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law. "Some have been lying to Ankara, but we must tell the Truth, and have honest and close relations with her", said meanwhile to "EuroFora" on the same issue also the President of EU Parliament's largest Group of MEPs (ChristianDemocrats/EPP), Joseph Daul.
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"Hot" Debate at EU Parliament reveals CHANGE of mood towards "Suspension" of EU - Tukey talks.
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Earlier this week, many MEPs, and even some of those who were previously in favor of Turkey's controversial EU bid, strongly criticized the persistance and even aggravation of serious Human Rights violations in the country, that ECHR continues to "unanimously" condemn ":
- "After winning a big victory in the latest Local Elections, the pro-Kurdish party DTP almost doubled its Elected Mayors from 52 to 98", but afterwards "more than 400 politicians were thrown to Prison and prosecuted" by the Turkish Authorities, denounced on behalf of the ChristianDemocrat/EPP Group, Belgian MEP Frieda Brepoels.
At the same time, "more than 1.500 Children are closed in Turkish Prisons", she added. "What will the EU Commission do" against these facts ?
- "Turkey appears to be at greater Distance away from Copenhagen Criteria after 4 Years of accession Negotiations, than when they started !", denounced on behalf of the Liberal Group, German MEP Alexander Lambsdorf.
"On the central issue of Press Freedom, Critical Journalists face obstacles for their accreditation, others are prosecuted, condemned, fined and/or jailed, Media blocked or closed", he denounced.
- "EU Made 2 grave Mistakes with Turkey : To start accession negotiations, and to continue them", despite everything, criticized Dutch MEP Bastian Belder, on behalf of the Ind/Dem group.