Looking forward to Erdogan's response to the EU Parliament.
Letter To The PM Of Turkey From Members Of The European Parliament
To the Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan
cc:
Mr Schussel, President of the EU Council Mr. Rehn, EU Enlargement Commissioner Mr. Borrell, President of the European Parliament
Strasbourg, 5th April 2006
Prime Minister, Mr Erdogan,
As members of the European Parliament - and among us there are many who voted for the opening of EU-Turkey accession negotiations - we are particularly shocked at what is happening in Diyarbakir and at the way in which the Turkish authorities are dealing with the current crisis.
It is unacceptable that the Kurds of Turkey, a community of at least 18 million people, cannot exercise any significant fundamental right related to their cultural, social and political identity, and that the government in Ankara refuses to recognise that people's identity;
We state solemnly that there is no military solution to the "Kurdish question" and that the search for a political, non-violent and negotiated solution to the problems of the region is necessary; bear in mind that for us, the recognition of the Kurdish population's right to exercise their fundamental rights is a condition for the accession of Turkey to the European Union.
At the time of the decision on the date for the formal opening of EU-Turkey accession negotiations, the Commission and the Council stressed that any negotiations would be suspended in the event of a serious violation of democratic principles and of human rights by Ankara; the Union will have to take appropriate steps in this direction if the Turkish authorities and army continue in their unilateral contraventions of the rights of the Kurdish population.
We condemn the government of Ankara and the local representatives of the Turkish army and of the state authority for the activities which led to the death of many innocent civilians in Diyarbakir; we call on all the parties in conflict to suspend their military activities immediately and without conditions, so calm can be restored and a political process of dialogue can begin.
Finally, we ask the Presidency of the European Union and the Commission to take the appropriate political steps so that a formal, political and constructive dialogue, between the government of Ankara and the Kurds can finally take place.
Best regards,
AGNOLETTO Vittorio, MEP
ADAMOU Adamos, MEP
AUKEN Margrete, MEP
BATZELI Katerina, MEP
BEGLITIS Panagiotis, MEP
BERTINOTTI Fausto, MEP
BOURZAI Bernadette, MEP
BRIE André, MEP
CAMRE Mogens N.J., MEP
CARLOTTI Marie-Arlette, MEP
CASACA Paulo, MEP
CATANIA Giusto, MEP
CHIESA Giulietto, MEP
CORREIA Fausto, MEP
DE BRUN Bairbre, MEP
DEMETRIOU Panayotis, MEP
DIMITRAKOPOULOS Georgios, MEP
EVANS Jillian, MEP
FORD Glyn, MEP
GOMES Ana Maria, MEP
GOUDIN Helene, MEP
GRUBER Lilli, MEP
GUIDONI Umberto, MEP
GURMAI Zita, MEP
HAMMERSTEIN David, MEP
HASSI Satu, MEP
JOAN I MARI Bernat, MEP
KARATZAFERIS Georgios, MEP
KASOULIDES Ioannis, MEP
KAUFMANN Sylvia-Yvonne, MEP
KUSSTATSCHER Sepp, MEP
LAMBERT Jean, MEP
LUDFORD Sarah, MEP
MARKOV Helmuth, MEP
MATSAKIS Marios, MEP
MEYER Willy, MEP
MORGANTINI Luisa, MEP
MORAES Clause, MEP
MUSACCHIO Roberto, MEP
ORTUONDO LARREA Josu, MEP
PANAYIOTIS Demetriou, MEP
PAPADIMOULIS Dimitrios, MEP
PFLUEGER Tobias, MEP
PORTAS Miguel, MEP
PRODI Vittorio, MEP
ROURE Martine, MEP
SACCONI Guido, MEP
SMITH Alyn, MEP
SPERONI Francesco, MEP
STAES Bart, MEP
SVENSSON Eva-Britt, MEP
TRIANTAPHYLLIDES Kyriacos, MEP
UCA Feleknas, MEP
VAKALIS Nikolaos, MEP
WAGENKNECHT Sahra, MEP
WURTZ Francis, MEP
ZIMMER Gaby, MEP
just there are 10 greek names on the list