The European Parliament's (EP) Resolution regarding the European Commission's 2013 Progress Report on Turkey has been adopted today (12 March 2014) at the EP Plenary Session.

These reports, which are regularly published by EU institutions assess the progress made by the country in question in the accession process. These reports that are adopted by the EU must be fair and objective in order to achieve the result desired by the EU with regard to countries having candidate status.

The progress to be achieved on Turkey’s EU accession process will provide significant opportunities not only for Turkey and the EU, but also for our entire region with a global impact. With this belief, Turkey resolutely exerts efforts in line with its goal of accession to the EU and attaches importance to dialogue and cooperation with the EU.

In this framework, we welcome that the EP Resolution on Turkey, prepared this year again by Dutch Christian Democrat MEP Ria Oomen-Ruijten, confirms that Turkey, with its economy, strategic location and important regional role, is a strategic partner of the EU and has a significant role for EU’s economic competitiveness, as noted in the EU Commission 2013 Enlargement Strategy.

The Resolution indicates that significant reforms had been accomplished since last year. It welcomes the opening of Chapter 22 -Regional Policy and Coordination of Structural Instruments, as well as the initiation of the process pertaining to visa-free travel of Turkish citizens to Schengen countries and the signing of the Readmission Agreement on 16 December 2013. Referring – as Turkey does – to the importance of Chapters 23-Judiciary and Fundamental Rights and 24-Justice, Freedom and Security for the reform process, it is stated that the transmission of the opening criteria regarding these chapters would provide a roadmap.

It is noteworthy that the Resolution calls upon considering the opening of Chapter 15-Energy in the context of Turkey’s importance on this matter.

We welcome the above mentioned points as they show the importance given by the EU side to Turkey’s accession process and support our view that an impetus must be provided to the negotiations through opening new chapters.

However, the Resolution shows that the EP continues its biased approach on the Cyprus issue. Indeed, the understanding reflected in the resolution is a sign that the EP is unfortunately far from comprehending and supporting the vision that will lead to the prevailing of peace and cooperation in Cyprus and in the region in an environment where the UN negotiation process restarted with the efforts of the Turkish Cypriot side and the active support of Turkey and at a time when hopes and efforts towards settlement have intensified.

Moreover, we saw with disappointment that the developments during the Gezi Park events and afterwards as well as the work carried out to ensure the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary have not been fully understood by the EU institutions and authorities.

Turkey strives to maintain the reform process by remaining committed to the Copenhagen criteria without any interruption, in line with the expectations and wishes of our people. No one should doubt that the principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law are taken into account as the fundamental elements in making any new legislation.

We will resolutely continue to claim our acquired rights in accordance with the pacta sunt servanda principle and continue efforts towards our goal to become an EU member.

It is our rightful expectation from the EU to support this process by continuing to have the channels of cooperation and dialogue open as it has been the case so far and by discarding any possible politically motivated approach.