During the plenary session (14-17 September 2020) in Brussels, MEPs debate on the Preparation of the Special European Council, focusing on the dangerous escalation and the role of Turkey in the Eastern-Mediterranean. Closing statements. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

Brussels

EU - Greece (T)

debate

plenary session

EU - Türkiye (T)

BORRELL FONTELLES, Josep (PSE, ES, EC)

ROTH, Michael (DE)

special meeting of the European Council 24-25 September 2020 (T)

Preparation of the Special European Council, focusing on the dangerous escalation and the role of Turkey in the Eastern-Mediterranean: Closing statements by Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, Vice President of the EC and Michael ROTH, German Presidency

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SOUNDBITE (Original), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, Thank you, Mr. President. And thank you to all of you for your contributions to the analysis of this situation and proposal for the next four day effort for the Council on the next European Council.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, I will consider all these comprehensive views and I will share them with my colleagues at defraying council and transmit to the members of the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, When the heads of state and the government will meet, I have the honnour and responsibility to be part of the to attend a meeting of the European Union and I will transmit the positions to be Parliament, which has been expressed today.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, It's clear to me that we have to stand by our interests and demonstrate our readiness to protect our rights and interests of the union and especially the ones of the Cyprus great, which has been threatened in our give a meeting in Berlin.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, We've got the political agreement and now we are trying to make this political agreement become a decision, a formal decision. And the Foreign Affairs Council.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, The working with the council are engaged and that unhappily right to their debt is not an agreement that, you know, the dissensions requires strong agreements between member states, unanimity in some cases and this year, by the time being, not the case.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, We will continue working in order to found a solution that could make possible both the sanctions to better rules and censure to Turkey to follow the same base as we agreed in the informal meeting at Berlin.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, But at the same time, it's also has been expressed here that a minimum of trust and dialogue with Turkey has to be pursued in order to stop this collation, saying both things are not contradictory.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, We have in one hand to show our readiness and our stance and and the other to continue talking.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, And it is the work of diplomacy and that we are trying to do, especially I myself, with the help of the External Action Service, to look for ways to work through our problems and improve our relations.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, I cannot answer to all the questions that you have been raising. I only would like to say that Mr. on these and others that they would share very much their approach to try to substitute the search for.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, Energy on the seas, which is something that we know that it is not exactly according with our green deal. And instead of that, we should try to provide to Cyprus, Turkey and the Greek islands with a big support in order to develop alternate energies.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, The sun is there, the wind is there, all the natural resources that we want to mobilize in order to provide a cleaner. And it got more nice energy there.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, And I think that one of the ways to try to solve the problem rely to is stop looking for carbon So energy. the gas is less carbon one want it just a carbon one. And to look for another solution.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, This should be part of the solution. And at the same time, you claim here for decisions that are out of my capacity and the capacity of the council I put in sample the arms issue.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, It's a matter of the member states and all of you can influence the attitude of your member states through the national parliaments. I am sure that the vote as there has been expressed here due to be a parliament.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, We were so be heard the national parliaments and the political parties that you represent. We will ask at the national level the same thing that you have been asking here, because the answer has to come from member states.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, European Union has no capacity. For example, today it could do to decide an arms embargo. It's a unilateral decision of the member state to decide what to do with our arms policy. About the resources that we have provided to Turkey.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, Some have been mentioning I want to make a difference. We do have the resources that we allocate to Turkey and the resources that we allocate to help to do Syrian and others refugees Security and even food for handlers of thousand of the refugees that are in Turkey.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, So their money, in some cases, most of the Turkey's government, but most of the cases go directly to the interested people, to the NGO and through United Nations organizations.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, And I suppose that everybody here will be in favour of giving financial support to alleviate the situation, the refugees which are being hosted in Turkey.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, Please make the difference because they are completely different things. Well, thank you very much for all your contributions. I understand that there are strong feelings about Turkey's issue. The Turkish membership, our relation with Turkey is a set I know a watershed moment.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, It is one of the moment in the history where decision makers have to go and face difficult decisions, trying to look for the best for all of us. And I am sure this is what the European Union will try to do on their next meeting. Thank you very much.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Othmar KARAS, Vice-President of the EP, Thank you very much, Vice President, for your answer. Now, Minister Roth.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Michael ROTH, German Federal Minister of State for Europe and President of the Council, Mr President, honourable members, high representative, on this important debate here today in parliament has sent out two clear messages.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Michael ROTH, German Federal Minister of State for Europe and President of the Council, The first is directed at Ankara when people complain that we're throwing more and more money into the hands of Turkey, I would agree with what the high representative has just said.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Michael ROTH, German Federal Minister of State for Europe and President of the Council, We go have to adjusted the resources. resources These the places where they are desperately needed to civil society in Turkey to help them in their efforts to strenghten democracy and human rights.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Michael ROTH, German Federal Minister of State for Europe and President of the Council, And I support this policy is uppporting EU made fully the EU has made available to Turkey in order to improve the situation of refugees, in order to create jobs, in order to improve education, is good money that is well invested.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Michael ROTH, German Federal Minister of State for Europe and President of the Council, And I don't think we need to be ashamed of that. And if somebody believes that we're still not prepared to accept any argument will do their level best to find the solution to this conflict. And I am very happy that we can count on your support in this. Thank you.