mr president first could i repeat in public my own congratulations to commissioner füle
we got you up early this morning on your first day in the job and i think it will not be the only time that we do so
in turkey there is significant public scepticism that the eu will keep its promise and just as you confront scepticism amongst some of our publics within the eu your challenge commissioner is to be fair and objective and yes that wins public trust
but also to put the positive case for enlargement to win over sceptic publics and our group will support you in doing so
on turkey the socialist and democrat group remains pro-accession pro-reform
the commission's progress report says that reform efforts have been resumed but should be intensified
we agree
so on this first report during the five years of this parliament let me focus my opening remarks on how we as a parliament should deal with turkey
to the rapporteur i respect your sincere commitment to pursuing consensus in this house and i thank you for your cooperation
i hope in future years that you will seek agreement of the political groups before submitting plenary amendments to agreed compromises at committee as our differences are small
but the real test of your rapporteurship and for this parliament is to ensure that we use our influence to secure year by year steady progress in shepherding turkey towards accession and that requires leadership here as well as in the country
to our cypriot colleagues we understand the pain of injustice you feel
in our group we have sought to include you fully in our consensus but we are determined at this crucial time to seek to take positions which support reconciliation efforts to provide justice to both communities and not to prejudge their outcome on behalf of either side
to others in this house constructive criticism of turkey is needed we ourselves are critical friends
but to those who speak in this debate opposing turkey we say that you are a minority too many of you are motivated by religious intolerance against islam and seeking your own political advantage by deliberately creating false fears about immigration
these arguments are loathsome and repellent and so are you
finally to the majority of this house who want turkey's accession we have to say so again and again
the shrill voice of the rejectionist must not be allowed to drown us out
we expect our turkish counterparts to continue to make painful changes in their own society with difficult impact on their domestic politics
these reforms are good in their own right but those of us who say in this parliament we want accession we have to make their pain worthwhile by ourselves doing what we say opening and closing chapters on merit delivering the promises of the council ourselves acting in good faith
