Turkey does not have any problem with criticism. And for that reason we can welcome rightful criticism made in the EU Commission and European Parliament's annual reports on Turkey, as we consider such criticism beneficial gains when our friends manage to observe what we cannot see about ourselves. As such, we have never adopted a stance against the EU Commission's annual Turkey Progress Report or European Parliament's annual Turkey Report. We saw these as opportunities to be self-critical and address the problems that are rightfully pointed out. Although these reports have so far not made many positive remarks about Turkey, we have respected the reports and those who prepare them, and always remained faithful to our Turkish hospitality while hosting rapporteurs, despite their biases against Turkey.
Yet we see rapporteurs make baseless claims and criticisms under the influence of circles affiliated with the outlawed PKK, the mafiaesque criminal organization known as the "parallel structure" or other marginal groups in Turkey.
European Parliament's rapporteurs on Turkey actually bear a great responsibility as European Parliament is a chief institution representing the EU democratically. But we can question the extent to which European Parliament takes this responsibility seriously.
The rapporteur on Turkey is chosen following complicated allocation discussions by parliamentary groups that are formed after European Parliament elections, held every five years. I do not wish to say a word against its decision or disrespect the institution, yet a rapporteur who has not formerly acted previously as a European Parliament member and does not have much expert knowledge on Turkey was elected.
As a former member of European Parliament who has witnessed how such negotiations are conducted and how the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee co-chairs and rapporteurs are assigned, I would like to make some observations about the process here.
After the 1999 European Parliament election, for instance, then European Parliament member Daniel Cohn-Bendit was eager to act as the chair of the EU-Israel Joint Parliamentary Committee. The Greens exerted a lot of effort to realize Bendit's target. The members for the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee were already determined. However, a group in Israel and Parliament harshly, and rightfully, I argue, reacted against Bendit's chairmanship as it was a tough duty.
Turkey bore the brunt of it and Bendit was assigned chair of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, since many figures in Parliament did not favor Turkey's EU membership. Naturally, it was thought that negative developments would do no harm, no matter how Bendit did in terms of relations. But now we at least have a Turkey rapporteur at the European Parliament.
As a result of the bargains between parliamentary groups, this duty, which was in the hands of the Christian Democrats before, was taken over by socialists. And they saw socialist member Kati Piri from the Netherlands as the appropriate person for the position. I do not have an objection so far.
Turkey has so far provided all kinds of services as required to European Parliament's Turkey rapporteur as a sign of respect to the parliamentary decision.
We all were very pleased when she expressed in her first statement that she would be objective. And, for our part, we tried to avoid every prejudice, even if there were some moments of surprise caused by press releases that seemed as if "parallel structure" members in Brussels had written them. Such was the case with a development regarding the "parallel structure" in Turkey during Christmas, when normally European Parliament members and everyone else in Europe is on vacation and do not move even if the world is set on fire. But now, in a period when EU-Turkish relations have improved and the 17th Economic and Monetary Policy chapter has been opened to negotiations at the Turkey-EU Accession Conference with three Turkish ministers going to Brussels to participate, Piri's remarks after her visit to Turkey last week disappointed us.
Piri may not have realized yet but Turkey defends EU values in the fight against terrorist organizations including DAESH, the PKK and the Democratic Union Party (PYD). She said that Turkey cannot join the EU before the Kurdish question is resolved. Let's make it clear that if Turkey joins the EU one day, it will be an EU member despite such mistaken remarks. She also said she would bring the attacks on civilians and historic artifacts to the agenda of the European Parliament. We are happy that she has made this promise, but we are still concerned whether Piri realized that it was the PKK terrorists who dug ditches in Diyarbakır province, assassinated Diyarbakır Bar Association president, murdered civilians and destroyed historic artifacts. It should be clear that they do not want Turkey to resolve the Kurdish question.
While asserting that world heritage is a common concern of humanity, did she consider the PKK's responsibility?
It is also evident from her statements regarding the autonomy issue that she is not familiar with the context in Turkey. No Kurdish citizen of the Republic of Turkey demands autonomy, except the PKK and its proponents.
I wonder whom Piri talked with while trying to talk with Kurds. She also urged that both parties should sit at the negotiating table for autonomy. Will the other party be the PKK, which hampered the reconciliation process in the recent months, murdered many people and is suspected of having a hand in the massacres organized in three Turkish provinces?
Piri should obtain information from Europol, or at least from the representatives of the Netherlands' security units. She will see her need to be self-critical when she carefully evaluates the PKK issue in terms of EU values and principles.
In Turkey, party violence is out of the question. There is a rightful struggle against the PKK, which sabotages every attempt to introduce peace and targets turning not only Turkey, but also Iraq and Syria into a ring of fire.
Turkey's people, state of law and democracy need a unifying spirit and they need support in the fight against terror rather than some nonsensical advice from Brussels. I hope I have been able to express my point clearly.
