Visit of Volkan BOZKIR, Turkish Minister for European Union Affairs, to the EP in Strasbourg. Arrival, welcome by Martin SCHULZ, roundtable and&nbsp;extracts from the joint&nbsp;statements.

statement

Strasbourg

round table

visit

EU - Türkiye (T)

Enlargement to Türkiye (T)

Schengen reform package (T)

SCHULZ, Martin (S&D, DE)

BOZKIR, Volkan (TR)

Martin SCHULZ meets with Volkan BOZKIR, Turkish Minister for European Union Affairs: arrival, roundtable and extracts from the press statements

Arrival to the press point Volkan BOZKIR, Turkish Minister of European Union Affairs. Welcomed by Martin SCHULZ, EP President , handshake.

SOUNDBITE (English), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, I explained why I didn't send the draft for the visa liberalisation which the Commission send, on the 4th of May, to me and to the relevant Committee, I explained to the Minister the reasons, I explained the whole procedure I have chosen here in the house, the content of my information to the Conference of Presidency in the house and especially why I decided that the requirements we thought that the Turkish side should have fulfilled are from our point of view, not yet complete, therefore the pre-conditions to start the process here in the Parliament is not yet ready.

SOUNDBITE (English), Martin SCHULZ, This is a point of disagreement, I think we should not hide it; Minister for sure will present his position but for the time being we have not yet a solution.

SOUNDBITE (English), Volkan BOZKIR, Minister for EU Affairs, I listened to your explanation why you have stopped the process in the European Parliament but of course Turkey has worked very hard in the fulfilment of the expectations and this is not a mathematics problem; this is a political problem; so we can't say 1;2;3;4; 14 is ,missing: 13 is not there; but you can interpret ,most of the expectations many different ways; so the political interpretation is important and we think that our interpretation is that we have fulfilled our expectations sufficiently enough for you to have moot this in the Parliament.

SOUNDBITE (English), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, There is absolutely understanding that the country that is affected in such a way by terrorism wants to protect its citizens against terrorists attacks and therefore measures of public order and police measures and even secret service measures are necessary, it is uncontested. The problem we discuss here - is that our impression - is the frame of the implication of anti-terror roots , the scope and the interpretation is so far reaching that we think that some of the measures are touching not directly fight against terrorism but for example the freedom of expression of media. And this leads to highly controversial debate here in the European Parliament, there is no reason to hide it, this is a reality and a public debate here.

SOUNDBITE (English), Volkan BOZKIR, Minister for EU Affairs, The press freedom in Turkey is discussable, Turkey is ready to listen to criticism but it is only possible if Turkey feels like in the family of the European Union. If Turkey is pushed out of this very important family, than your criticism will never reach the important points in Turkey. We think that we have to make a separation between the identities. I have been an ambassador, I am now a minister, because of my title, I cannot have an immunity or privilege from law, so the title of a journalist, if it is because of his title, if he robes a bank or he kills a person is in jail according to the reports, it is not the journalist, so we can discuss this and find a way out which will satisfy the European Communities but the press freedoms and all the relevant questions has not been a part of visa liberation road map.

SOUNDBITE (English), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, We think that there is a big disagreement between the interpretation of the acting Turkish government on which is considering freedom of speech and media and the EP.

SOUNDBITE (English), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, This call of application of the anti-terror law so far reaching that we think that there is limiting in our point of view an inacceptable way the freedom of media.

SOUNDBITE (English), Volkan BOZKIR, Minister for EU Affairs, We are trying to save the package, visa is a one part of it and there are our elements in the agreed package, opening chapters is one, sending to Syrian people in Turkey, 3 plus 3 billion euros is one, having high level platforms, economy energy and customs union is another one, one to one deal is a part of it and also Turkey-EU readmission agreement is also a part of it.

SOUNDBITE (English), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, The one to one agreement which was found between Turkey and the Member States of the European Union in the European Institutions, especially the Commission has one goal, it was a strike against human trafficking, and we should stick to that agreement, despite deference on other levels. Thank you very much.