PN Member Maria Eleni Koppa on EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee Meeting

Author: 
Maria Eleni Koppa
October 25, 2013

The aim of the meeting was to plan actions and the next meeting of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee.

On October 25, 2013, the Vice-Chair of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee MEP Marilena Koppa presided over the meeting of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee in Istanbul. The aim of the meeting was to plan actions and the next meeting of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee consisting of members of both the European Parliament and the Turkish National Assembly.

The main topic of discussion was the new package of democratization in Turkey, that was recently unveiled by the country's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The debate was prompted by  the Progress Report on Turkey, recently unveiled by the European Commission which raised negative reactions in Turkey.

After the meeting, Marilena Koppa said:

"We agreed that the central theme of the next meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee EU-Turkey, to be held in Ankara in early December, are the issues of democracy and freedom in Turkey. Unfortunately, the Turkish side is still unable to determine the causes that led to the uprising of Geza park a few months ago. The new package of democratization measures presented by the Turkish Prime Minister does not meet the basic demands for more democracy, respect for religious freedom and the rights of minorities."

 

Originally published on Marilena Koppa's website.

Photo by marilenakoppa.

 

PN member Maria Eleni Koppa MEP is Vice-Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee. She is also serving on the European Parliament's Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council, on the Committee on Foreign Affairs and on the Subcommittee on Security and Defense.

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