Duff calls Europe to drive reform of Turkey

12.00.00am GMT Thu 9th Dec 1999

At the end of an intensive high level visit to Turkey, Andrew Duff MEP, 1st Vice-President of the European Parliament's delegation to Turkey, called for the European Union to couple its granting of candidate status with a committed drive to reform that country. Andrew Duff said:

"Turkey is ready for candidate status, and sees it as an historical opportunity to modernise itself on the basis of it's European tradition. It needs Europe's help to do so."

Andrew Duff, who is also the constitutional affairs spokesman for the European Liberal Democrats, added:

"Turkey needs to effect a revolution in its relationship between state and citizen.

"It must also accept that an independent, federated Cyprus will become a full member of the Union. It cannot stop Cyprus, and it should try to facilitate its progress as a non-divided country."

Andrew Duff, who accompanied Mr Daniel Cohn-Bendit MEP on the trip to Turkey, met a large number of ministers, officials and NGOs. The Human Rights organisations claimed that Turkey had made only superficial progress towards improving the situation. After their meeting, the two MEPs called for an amnesty for political prisoners in Turkey and for full cultural self-expression of the Kurdish people.

They also agreed a work programme with their Turkish parliamentary counterparts for quantifiable measures on political, social and economic fields.