mr president it is not often that i agree with mrs flautre but i do agree with many of the remarks she has just made
first of all could i call for more honesty in our approach to turkey
i am sure all of us want good relations with turkey and many of us probably the majority wish to see turkey one day as a member of the european union a different european union to what is being developed today
it is because some recognise that turkish accession would inevitably change the nature of the eu project driving as it is towards unwanted political integration that they are so resistant to it
i have one or two questions for the commission
what has happened to the negotiations with turkey
why are so few chapters open
at a time when in all our countries we have serious concerns about energy security and turkey is in such a key geographical position in providing the routes for pipelines from the caspian why is the energy chapter not open
and with presidential elections imminent in cyprus and unification talks in progress cyprus is very much on our minds
turkey of course can hardly ever be discussed in this chamber without reference to cyprus but perhaps it would be more helpful if instead of always criticising turkey the eu endeavoured to provide it with more support on this issue
why do we just call on turkey to use its influence when greece and the republic of cyprus both eu members have a crucial role to play
i agree that the turkish garrison in northern cyprus should be much reduced
in fact i regularly propose to turkish emissaries that a unilateral reduction in troops would be a bold confidence-building measure but we all know that had the annan plan been put into effect the turkish troop presence would have been reduced to a mere six hundred and fifty and the greek presence to nine hundred and fifty
it is scandalous that no real progress has been made in opening international trade with northern cyprus
why has the european union not kept its promise given in may two thousand and four to end the isolation of northern cyprus
of all the places in the world where the eu might actually play a useful role and exert some benign influence cyprus stands out yet we are absent
let us not blame turkey for the eu's internal difficulties
