Exchange of views at the Committee on Foreign Affairs,&nbsp;on the situation in Turkey and debriefing of the AFET fact-finding mission to Ankara, Turkey on 23-25 August 2016, in the EP in Brussels. Statements by Elmar BROK (EPP, DE), Chair Foreign Affairs Committee, and Kati PIRI (S&amp;D, NL), Rapporteur

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Brussels

exchange of views

EU - Türkiye (T)

respect for human rights in the world (T)

BROK, Elmar (EPP, DE)

PIRI, Kati (S&D, NL)

Situation in Turkey and debriefing of the AFET fact-finding mission to Ankara, Turkey on 23-25 August 2016: extracts from the exchange of views

Arrival of Elmar BROK, Chair Foreign Affairs Committee in the meeting room

SOUNDBITE (German), Elmar BROK (EPP, DE), Chair Foreign Affairs Committee, We made it loud and clear that the developments before the coup d'etat in Turkey with regards to freedom of opinion and other matters, were unacceptable for us and that they had brought Turkey further away from the EU. At the same time, we spelt out loud and clear that we're against the coup d'etat.

SOUNDBITE (German), Elmar BROK (EPP, DE), Chair Foreign Affairs Committee, The Gulen movement has been built up very systematically from an educational level upwards, trying to instruct young people and has created interacting movements over many decades. And they want to see sharia apply in the state and society.

SOUNDBITE (German), Elmar BROK (EPP, DE), Chair Foreign Affairs Committee, There were conversations between the Turkish government and the Council of Europe and JAGLAND the representative of the Council of Europe was in Ankara, concerning the trials. The trials should be according to the rule of law and monitored by the Council of Europe it was stated.

SOUNDBITE (German), Elmar BROK (EPP, DE), Chair Foreign Affairs Committee, It continues to be the case that political oppose the coup, but the HDP isn't being negotiated with as part of the coalition dealing with the consequences (of the coup) and we regard that as wrong.

SOUNDBITE (German), Elmar BROK (EPP, DE), Chair Foreign Affairs Committee, I heard this morning the Americans think it is a good thing that the Turks have moved in. The Kurds are pulling back across the Euphrates which means that the military activities against the Kurds should come to an end.  If the Kurds are no longer West of the Euphrates then things should come to a halt. But the Syrian Kurds have been very helpful in fighting ISIS, to close that circle.

SOUNDBITE (German), Elmar BROK (EPP, DE), Chair Foreign Affairs Committee, I have to say that I have revised my picture of the situation regarding that man () to some extent. He is someone who sees unambiguously that only through a customs union with Europe can they progress with such a large proportion of investment coming form Europe.

SOUNDBITE (German), Elmar BROK (EPP, DE), Chair Foreign Affairs Committee, My impression was that Turkey intends to stand by the refugee agreement. They're just not happy about one point, we're saying that 6 billion euro from the EU budget should not be channelled through the Turkish government but in an agreement with the international organisations that are directly dealing with the refugees in situ.

SOUNDBITE (English), Kati PIRI (S&amp;D, NL), Rapporteur, We had a meeting here in AFET on the 19th of July and we already saw then the arrest of thousands of people and dismissals of ten thousands of civil servants. The purge is mainly against the Gulen supporters but we also see journalists and academics who are certainly not related to the coup.

SOUNDBITE (English), Kati PIRI (S&amp;D, NL), Rapporteur, what was positive outcome is that we heard that this week as Turkey is a member of the Council of Europe, the Committee for the prevention of torture will have access to the Turkish prisons. And this is of course an important thing that there are international observers allowed to inspect the prisons and we plead that it should also be Turkish.

SOUNDBITE (English), Kati PIRI (S&amp;D, NL), Rapporteur, None of the government officials actually said that something that they're thinking about re-introducing the death penalty, including the opposition which would clearly not support it.