EU Chair, Danish EU Minister Wammen to EuroFora after a "Hot" EU-Turkey meeting: It takes 2 to Tango

*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- "It takes 2 to Tango", significantly stressed to "EuroFora" the EU-Chairman-in-office, Danish Minister for EU affairs, Nicolai Wammen, speaking on EU's recent decision to start with Turkey a "Positive Agenda" since last May 2012, based on the supposed wish of both partners to try to move forward, independently of the controversial and unpopular "Accession" EU bid, or not, after more than 2 years of EU - Turkey Negotiations were practically stalled by Ankara's stuborn refusal to meet its obligations vis a vis the EU, nor even to respect elementary Human Rights and Democracy, as a particularly "Hot" and animated meeting of the Joint InterParliamentary Committee EU - Turkey just revealed in EU Parliament in Strasbourg, (See relevant"EuroFora"'s Daft NewsReports, already sent to Subscribers/Donors earlier).

=>  - "We (the Danish EU Presidency) want to try to give a New Momentum to EU - Turkey Negotiations, by starting that "Positive Agenda"", (since May 2012), clearly confirmed from the outset the Danish Minister for EU affairs, Nicolai Wammen to "EuroFora".

  -"But, it takes 2 to Tango : Both the EU and Turkey must meet their obligations" in order to become able to really advance forward, also warned, in substance,  the EU Council's Chairman-in-office for the Danish EU Presidency (1-6/2012, who has also the task to prepare the forthcoming, crucial, EU Summit in Brussels on 28-29 June), replying specifically to an "EuroFora"s question on Ankara's pending (and at least partly aggravated recently: 2006-2012) serious Human Rights problems, as CoE's and ECHR's recent decisions and overall Statistics reveal.         

EU Council, the Highest EU body, which represents the Governments of 27 EU Member Countries, meeting at Ministerial level simply "took Note" of EU Commission's proposal for EU - Turkey "Positive Agenda", back since November 2011, but the subsequent, December 9, 2011, Heads of State/Government European Council didn't even debate this issue, which wasn't at all in the Agenda of EU Leaders, (Comp. "EuroFora"s NewsReports from Brussels' 12/2011 EU Summit). So that the Concrete Details on what EU Measures could  be exactly taken, and hown, in the framework of that "Positive Agenda" principles, started to emerge in Public only since mid/late May 2012, (i.e. after the Greek  Parliamentary and  the French Presidential Elections).

Significantly, Wammen was speaking to "EuroFora" just after an informal EU Ministers' meeting at Copenhagen, with the participation of experienced Cyprus' State Secretary, Manolis Mavrogenis, (a former Ambassador in Paris, and Permanent Representative in Brussels, as well as at UNO's Headquarters in New York : comp. "EuroFora"'s Co-Founder's NewsReports from New York's UNO Heads of State/Government Summit, back on 2005, published at TCWeekly+), as well as of France's New EU affairs Minister Bernad Cazeneuve, who has just arrived to EU Parliament in Strasbourg.

Danish EU Presidency sources clearly said to "EuroFora" that Copenhagen's diplomacy doesn't believe that there is today enough Time and Condition to eventually open up the currently freezed "Energy" Chapter for EU - Turkey Negotiations, (despite an EU - Turkey meeting scheduled for this Thursday, at nearby Stuttgart, involving EU Commissioners Fule, responsible for Neighborhood and Enlargement, as well as Oettinger, responsiblke for Energy). This concerns not only Turkey's notorious Harassment, Provocations and even Threats against EU Member State Cyprus' sovereign Right to peacefuly explore its Oil-Gas Natural Resources , in agreement with Neighbouring Countries Israel, Egypt, etc., but also the fact that Energy is one among those Chapters which were "Frozen" by the EU Council since December 2009, because of Turkey's refusal to comply with a landmark, 21 September 2005 EU Council official reply to Turkey's 29 July 2005 provocative, Unilateral Declaration refusing to ecen recognize the existance of EU, CoE and UNO Member State Cyprus, that Ankara illegaly occupies with a  40.000 Invasion Army  at its Northern part since 1974, repeatedly condemned by several UN SC Decisions since the 1980ies, (Comp. "EuroFora"s co-Founder's NewsReports from London on July and from New York on September 2005).

But Wammen's main reply to "EuroiFora"s principal question (See above) was more relevant to Turkish Minister for relations with Europe, M. Bagis' astonishingly Negative stance in reply to several MEP's Critical Questions during an exceptionaly "Hot" EU - Turkey Joint Inter-Parliamentary Delegations' meeting in EU Parliament in Strasbourg, earlier today, in which participated, together with the Danish EU rotating Presidency, also EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood policy Stefan Fule, (1 Day before speaking also to a slmilar EU - Ukraine JPC, tomorrow, Thursday morning, as Commiissioner Fule told "EuroFora") :

- Among many other Incidents related to the Turkish Minister's behavior, Bagis also refused, with astonishing Contempt, even to answer to CoE's Committee of Ministers' decision,  taken last week in Strasbourg, to formally ask Ankara to at last open Access to the Turkish Army's Archives and other available Information about "Missing" Greek Cypriot People who have gone "Missing" since the 1974 Turkish Army's Invasion and still on-going Occupation at the Northern part of Cyprus, as Socialist MEP Antigoni Pericleous (from Cyprus) reminded in her Question ; CoE's latest Decision (4 June 2012) strongly asked Turkey to unlease any Information it possessed on what really happened to "Missing" Persons who "disappeared" in the part of Cyprus occupied by 40.000 Turkish Military Troops, in order to respect ECHR judgements which have condemned Ankara for persisting Inhuman/Degrading Treatments of the victims' Families, in addition to violating Human Rights to Life and Liberty by failing to do any efficient investigation on what really happened to them, and find and punish those responsible for their enforced "disappearance", Turkish Minister Bagis refused to give any reply on that core Human Right issue, claiming that it was "impossible for Turkey to reply", but that, on the contrary,  he was "Tired by that" kind of demands, and "Fed up", as he provocatively added...

It's also a fact that Turkish Minister Bagis totaly and repeatedly refused today even to answer a question raised Bis by the 1st vice-President of EU Parliament's Joint Committee with Turkey, Greek MEP Georges Cumutsakos (a ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP of "New Democracy" party of former Foreign Minister Antonis Samaras, a frontrunner in the forthcoming Elections on Sunday, and would-be New Prime Minister), on whether Turkey will respect, or not, EU Institutions by keeping the usual, established format for EU - Turkey Joint Inter-Parliamentary Committee meetings also during the forthcoming EU rotating Presidency by Cyprus,. The key MEP Warned Ankara that, otherwise, it should forget about even holding another JIPC meeting on October 2012, as scheduled, (in addition to Turkey's specific obligation to comply with EU Summits' call to normalize its relations with Cyprus and stop discriminating against that strategically located EU Member Country, the only one in which Oil/Gas rich fields started to be found recently, in agreement with Egypt and Israel, etc). And despite EU Council's, EU Commission's and EU Parliament's reiterated, recent Warnings to Turkey, that all should respect EU Institutions, including the particularly important Principle of the Rotating EU Council's rotating Chairmanship.

Something which made the usually reserved Head of Cyprus' MEPs to EU Parliament, Takis Hadjigeorgiou, (from the AKEL Party -Left- of President Christofias), focus on vainly asking Bagis when he will, at last, withdraw Ankara's Occupation Troops from the Northern part of EU Country, Cyprus, and stress that Turkey will be obliged, in one way or another, sooner or later, to Stop its Military Occupation.

Bagis also violently Refused even to look at a Book critical to alleged attempts to "Islamize" Europe, and reportedly denouncing sometimes Anti-Democratic and/or Violent trends, which was offered to him by Dutch MEP Barry Madlener, of the "Freedom Party", that he practically chassed away, by threatening hom with his Fists, provocatively crying that "you can put that Book where you put also your Cartoons (sic !)", and even almost assimilating the critical Dutch MEP to the strange, horrible case of an unstable, unemployed Norwegian Breivik, a Murderer (eventually alone) of many Immigrant Youngsters invited by the Governing Socialist Party at a Natural Summer ressort, Breijnicjk, who had curiously copied a great part of American Terrorist "UNA-BOMBER"s delirious writings, initially published at the USA. Invited  to rectify that public insult against a MEP democratically elected by EU Citizens, who, even if critical, nevertheless spoke correctly and kindly to Bagis, particularly warning against a kind of indirect "Sharia" Law domination threat in Turkey, Bagis initially refused during the EU - Turkey JPC Public Meeting, covered by Turkish Radio-TV apparently in full, but, later-on, when almost all MEPs had gone, during another event of an Exhibition, he tried at least to "explain" that he only wanted to call the Dutch MEP to "see" what Breivik was, as he claimed.

However, the Turkish Minister also practically brushed away 2 other Critical, but well-balanced with positive hopes as well, questions raised by mainstream MEPs Andrew Duff (from UK's Liberals currently in the Governemental coalition), and Anna-Maria Corazza-Bildt, (ChristanDemocrat/EPP MEP and Wife of the famous Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt), who mainly asked Bagis for the (as usual duringh the latest 15 or 20 years of CoE's and ECHR's Monitoring of Turkey..) still on-going "Draft" Reforms of Turkey's Laws generally condemned (inbcluding by the ECHR) as violating elementary Human Rights,  either to become much more clear and Substantial than currently scheduled by Ankara, and/or to ensure that, in Real Practice, People's basic Rights would be really respected, without limiting the whole exercice, eventually, in a show-off by mere Paper-work...

+ In the only "Hot" and topical Question which was answered by the Turkish Minister Bagis, the Reply was a net "NO !", without any window open for any eventual compromise : EU - Turkey's JPC 1st vice-President, experienced MEP George Cumutsakos, a ChristianDemocrat/EPP from the front-runner party of Antonis Samaras' "New Democracy", widely expected to win next Sunday's Elections and head a New Government, had simply asked Bagis if Turkey would, at last, accept, sign and ratify the UNO-brokered, International Treaty on the Law of the Sea, (UNCLOS), which has already been endorsed also by all EU States, and even by all Candidate Countries, except "only Turkey", (so that EU Member Greece could, at last, start to benefit from the alleged Oil-Gas Natural Resources at the Aegean Sea, without facing a Turkish WAR Threat if it simply dared use the Legal Rights that the above mentioned International Law gives to the indebted and artificially impoverished  EU Country, which urgently needs to find some Financial and Economic boost against current recession and abrupt Austerity, mainly for independent Enterprises and Poor People, in order to create Growth.

Bagis' only reaction was just to claim that Turkey will Never accept the International Law of the Sea, unless Europe decides to make Ankara a "Full" EU Member"....

+ Moreover, he surprisingly went even as far as to Accuse in Public EU Commissioner Fule, responsible for EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood policy, (comp. Supra), to have made False "Promisses" to Ankara, because he "simply" anounced, Today, his intention (in alleged cooperation with EU's JHA Commissioner Maelmstrom, to somehow "Facilitate" Visas for Turkish Immigrants' entry inside EU's Shengen Countries, instead of Fully Cancelling all "Visas"  for Turks who want to enter inside Europe.... ++ Until then, Bagis even threatened that Turkey will keep Refusing the necessary "Readmlission Agreements" for Roma and/or many other illegal Immigrants, who notoriously represent about 90% of illegal Immigrants entering througfhout many EU Countries, just crossing Greece, from Turkey's Borders at Evros River and/or the Aegean Sea, some of who face even "Inhuman/Degrading Trezatments" or even more Tragical, sometimes Deadly incidents, , as long as such situations persist , and are obviously been held as "Hostages" to be used as a kind of "Political Chip".

Even Socialist MEP Helen Kopa's (EU-Turkey JPC 3rd Vice-President) partly kind  intervention, (a supporter of Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU bid), who went as far as to (erroneously : Comp. infra) praise Turkey's "Economic Growth", as she claimed, but briefly criticized Ankara's "Democratic Recession", as she colorfully added, faced an only a Hard, Ironical remark by Bagis, who accused the entire Greek People (and not only several notoriously Corrupted former pro-Turkish PASOK Governments in Greece, who have provoked a huge Debt by their Clientelist, Nepotist and Abusive policies of the Past related to an over-staffed State and Public Sector, causing great Sufferings and serious Damages to the detriment of independent Businesses and/or Poor People), to face unprecedented severe Austerity (less for the comparatively "privileged" Public  Sector, but more against Private Enterprises and Poor Families, even Old People reportedly deprived of Medicinen, etc), only because, according to the Turkish Minister, they would not have worked as much as the Turks (sic !), as he claimed, obviously forgetting the fact that Ankara's Government receives, each year, more than ...4,5 up to 5 Billions € of Financial Aid (as the Head of the Turkish Delegation to EU-Turkey JPC boasted at subsequent Reception/Exhibition), from EU Taxpayers' Money, (almost 1 Billion € of it being full, free Grants, and not loans), and, despite that, all recent Economic Data clearly show that the Turkish Economy is currently Falling in a Serious Crisis, almost as back on 1999-2000, (after Turkey's currency was Devaluated - 20% on 2011, Inflation jumped upwards, followed by a growing Unemployment, a Big Current Accounts' Deficit, etc. pushing towards a Sudden, sharp Fall loosing 3/4 of its GDP from 2011 to 2012, which obviously risks to aggravate the recently revealed Political, Social and mainly Human Rights/Democracy grave Violations' problem, (See specific "EuroFora"s NewsReports).             

Thus, Bagis' and Turkey's overall behavior incited several MEPs from various EU Member Countries and Political Groups (even a .. Turkish opposition's MP !), to warn, during today's EU-Turkey JPC Semestrial meeting, about a Risk to "Suspend" EU - Turkey Negotiations, depending, particularly also on Ankara Government's stance during the next 6 Months... 

 Meanwhile, however, EU Commission recently decided to fund, with full Grants of several Hundrends of Millions €, also a High Speed Train between Ankara and Istanbul (Constantinople), while, even EU's Heartland, between Strasbourg and Brussels, is still deprived of a correct Train link, obliging to waste too many Hours and Energy in changing lines and waiting for a too slow Train to arrive, f.ex. after EU Summits in Brussels, back to Strasbourg, without even enough Time to sleep, nor to work efficiently.. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       At present, the only eventual "Hope" for Turkey to, perhaps, make some progress, obviously is the still on-going Reform of its Constitution, (which dates back to the 1980-1982 Military Dictatorship and/or to Attaturk's old, Authoritarian State of the 1930ies), reportedly due for 2013, as well as some more of Ankara's usual "Law reform drafts", (of which the more "experienced" CoE has already seen and:or heard too many times, during more than 16 to 20 Years of almost vain Monitoring..), on which, various Speakers at today's EU - Turkey JPC meetings, including EU Commissioner Fuler, mainstream British MEP Andrew Duff, Swedish MEP Corazza-Bild, and others (See for more concrete details "EuroFora"s specific NewsReport, whose Draft has already been sent earlier to Subscribers/Donors), warned Bagis that, even if it might be "a Step forward", however, all currently planned "Reforms" were far away from what was necessary in order to really respect elementary Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, because the Turkish Drafts still contained various serious Shortcomings and Failings, including on Freedom of Expression.