26.11.2016 Ankara
We are deeply saddened by the decision of the European Parliament (EP) to ‘‘temporarily freeze the accession negotiations with Turkey’’. We also regret the fact that such an important decision has been made without any consultation with social stakeholders including professional organizations, civil society organizations as well as the workers’, civil servants’ and employers’ labor union confederations that are members of the Turkey-EU Joint Consultative Committee.
This
decision by the EP is devoid of objective grounds and has a one-sided point of
view with regard to the developments in Turkey. Moreover, it represents a
contradiction to the natural missions of Parliaments. Parliaments are venues
for negotiation. Parliaments are venues for dialogue.
Nevertheless,
we do not neglect the importance of this decision of the EP as a symbolic and
political message. We consider it worrisome in that it reflects the public
opinion in EU member states with regard to the matter. It is thus clear that we
need to do a better job of explaining the social trauma caused by the heinous
coup attempt that took place on 15 July 2016 and the subsequent developments to
our counterparts within the EU in a more systematic manner.
This
decision by the EP should not harm Turkey-EU relations.
When the
membership application to the ‘‘European Communities’’ was made in 1987,
President Turgut Özal, the 8th President of the Republic of Turkey,
referred to Turkey’s EU membership process as a ‘‘long and twisting path’’.
Turkey’s
EU process has been going on with numerous ups and downs as well as tough
negotiations as characterized by the late Özal. This decision by the EP is
neither the first setback in Turkey-EU relations, nor will it be the last. The
relationship has survived much more challenging and severe tests.
We can
overcome this challenge not by suspending the negotiations but by diversifying
the communication channels, exchanging more and engaging in more
negotiations.
Turkey-EU relations are
of significant importance and beneficial for both parties. The relations have
reached a ‘‘point of no return’’ since they are based on common values and benefit
both Turkey and the EU.
-
The ‘‘association agreement’’
signed in 1963,
-
The ‘‘customs union’’ concluded
in 1996,
-
The declaration of Turkey as a
‘‘candidate country’’ in 1999,
-
The decision to start
‘‘accession negotiations’’ with Turkey in 2004,
-
The fact that negotiations have
been initiated under “16 chapters’’ to date,
-
The Visa Liberalization
Dialogue Agreement signed on 16 December 2013 and the Readmission Agreement,
-
The decision to update the
Customs Union in May 2015,
-
The Turkey-EU Summits of 29
November 2015 and 18 March 2016 highlighting such matters as visa
liberalization, Syrian refugees, updating the customs union, the high level
economic dialogue mechanism, the High Level Energy Dialogue and the Strategic
Energy Cooperation among others,
are examples of the
significant decisions and concrete steps that have been achieved in numerous
areas.
Turkey’s EU accession
process is one of the significant anchors of its efforts towards
economic and social transformation. Turkey’s EU accession vision has had
a determining role in successful efforts undertaken since 2001 in such fields
as democratization, civilianization, the rule of law and the respect for human
rights.
As the Turkey-EU Joint
Consultative Committee, representing our country’s leading workers’, civil
servants’ and employers’ labor union confederations, professional organizations
and civil society organizations, we believe that it will be positive to
pursue Turkey’s EU accession process on a rational basis.
Therefore, as opposed to
the EP’s decision to suspend negotiations, we call for more negotiations and a
diversification of communication channels in Turkey-EU relations based on a
non-populist, strategic and long term approach.
HAK-İŞ
MEMUR-SEN
TESK
TİSK
TÜRK-İŞ
TÜRK KAMUSEN
TOBB
TZOB