Re: Turkey: EU Green Light Would Bolster Rights Reform

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Title: Re: Turkey: EU Green Light Would Bolster Rights Reform

Concerns email of 15.12.2004 16:03 Uhr sent by F A B I O C C H I:: unter eco_fabiocchi at tin.it:

> Turkey: EU Green Light Would Bolster Rights Reform 
>
> (Ankara, December 15, 2004) - A European Union decision this week to 
> begin membership negotiations with Turkey would ensure that essential 
> human rights reforms in the country continue, Human Rights Watch said 
> today.  
>
>  "The EU accession process has already helped bring about significant 
> human rights improvements in Turkey," said Jonathan Sugden, Human 
> Rights Watch's researcher for Turkey. "A 'yes' from the European 
> Council would maintain that momentum." 
>
> On December 16 and 17, the European Council will meet in Brussels and 
> decide whether Turkey should start negotiations for full membership. The 
> European Commission in October concluded that "Turkey sufficiently 
> fulfills the political criteria" and recommended that membership talks 
> should begin. 
>
> Human Rights Watch said that monitoring and standards inherent in the 
> EU accession process have contributed greatly to the improvement of 
> human rights in Turkey, by creating the political space for the government 
> to undertake difficult reforms on the death penalty, language rights for 
> minorities and freedom of _expression_. The process has also bolstered the 
> efforts of human rights defenders and others pressing for reform in Turkey. 
>
> Significant challenges remain however, particularly in relation to torture 
> and ill-treatment in police custody, and the safe return of more than 
> 350,000 internally displaced Kurds forced from their homes in the 1990s. 
> Key human rights priorities for the coming year are detailed in a 
> background note, "Turkey at the Crossroads," released by Human Rights 
> Watch today. 
>
> "The Turkish government deserves support for its work so far, but there's 
> still much to do. In the coming months, we expect further progress from 
> the government to fully eradicate torture and a start to the safe return of 
> displaced Kurdish villagers," Sudgen said. 
>
> Human Rights Watch takes no position as to whether Turkey meets the 
> criteria for membership or whether membership would be positive for the 
> European Union or for Turkey. 
>
> To read the background note, please see:  
> http://hrw-news.c.topica.com/maacYBaabczMaa5QBgub/