EU Budget Commissioner Lewandowski to EuroFora:No Blank Cheque to Turkey on Constitution ao setbacks

*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- "There is No Blank-Cheque" with EU Taxpayers' Money for Turkey if it doesn't make Progress on its commitments to the EU on Democracy and Human Rights, replied in substance EU Commissioner in charge of EU Budget, Lewandowski, to a relevant "EuroFora"'s question on the latest among a series of recent impressive Setbacks by Ankara, (See Infra), who has even droped all promises for a Democratic Constitutional Reform until at least its 2015-2016 Elections. Significantly, he replied, together with EU Parliament's Budget Committee's President, Alain Lamassoure, just after MEPs adopted during this November 2013 Plenary Session in Strasbourg, both EU's Annual Budget for the Year 2014 and its Financial Perspectives for the period 2014-2020.

    Topically, "EuroFora" raised a "Sensitive but important for EU Institutions' History Question, particularly so close to the forthcoming EU Elections of 2014", at the same Day of the Sakharov Prize's Annual Award by EU Parliament for the Freedom of Thought, (See specific NewsReport), which was also celebrating the completion of 25 Years since its creation (1988-2013) by having exceptionaly invited all Recicpients who are still alive, for a series of landmark meetings in Strasbourg, including with former EUP Presidents Buzek and Poettering, together with the current President Shultz, which gave a unique chance for an overview also of a possibility to estabish a kind of Worlwide Network of convinced Human Rights Defenders' moral voices, as well as, eventualy, a kind of Joint actions' mechanism for Timely Action for the protection of Democratic Freedoms and Fundamental Rights, not only at Neighbouring Countries but also elsewhere in the World.

- Just "1 Day after the Anouncement made by the Turkish Government Yesterday that it will give up any Reform of the Constitution, which dates up from the (former Military) Dictatorship of the Beginning of the 1980ies, at least for the next 2 Years, it would be Controversial for EU Citizens to see that EU Parliament Votes almost 1 Billion of Grants, not Loans, without saying anything ?"; "EuroFora" asked.  - "Isn't there any way to be Credible ?", particularly the same Day of exceptionaly important and symbolic Humab Rights events organized by EU Parliament itself (Comp. Supra), we asked, as a matter of principle.

 - This concerns practically everything : Democracy, Human and Minority Rights, role of the Army, etc, which are included in the famous Reform of the Turkish Constitution, which is in the pipeline since many years and has been asked for by EU Parliament, by the CoE which is specialized in that, by the Venice Commission, etc.. Yesterday, it was anounced by Ankara that all Parliament activities for a New Constitution are postponed for at least 2 Years, (i.e. up to the 2015 Next Turkish Elections), and this is in various mainstream Newspapers".

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- "The only Consequence, if things go Wrong in a Country like Turkey, with which we (EU) have a Privileged Relationship since it's a Candidate Country, the only consequence on EU Budget, cannot be but something Positive" for EU Finances, (particularly at a moment of Glocal Crisis with a scarcity of Money), diplomatically joked, the experienced President of EU Parliament's Budgets' Committee, and former Minister for EU Affaies, French ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP Alain Lamassoure.

+ "Absolutely !", President Lamassoure clarified later to observers who noted that his wording about "Positive" results for EU Budget, in fact pointed more at the mainly "Political" and Financial advantage for the EU to Spare much needed Money...

+ "I think that, in our (EU's) External Relations, apart from the Humanitarian Aid, there is a very Sound Principle : "More for More", started to react to "EuroFora"s Question also EU Commissioner in charge of EU Budget, Janusz Lewandowski.

=> -  "So, we (EU) are not so much allocating in advance Money,  but, (on the contrary),  we are trying to Reward a Stability in our Neighborhood of Progress in the Countries that are in this process towards the EU, for Real Reforms", he stressed.

>>> - In consequence, in such kind of  issues, "the Principle "More for More" is a very Sound Principle", Lewandowski reiterated. Therefore, there is "No Cheque en Blanc. No Blank-cheque !", the competent EU Commissioner concluded in his reply to "EuroFora"s Question, i.e. indirectly but surely Warning Ankara to live up to its commitments.

 Indeed, among various other possibilities, one is to table an Amendment to "Freeze" all or part of EU Funds earmarked for Turkey, (something frequently done during the 1990ies) in case of a serious setback on its Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law obligations, and/or for EU Parliament to refuse giving "quitus" to EU Commission for the management of the concerned EU Funds, (something already done recently), etc., while EU's Court of Accounts just denounced, earlier in Strasbourg, the fact that "Errors" found in Funds spend for EU's "External activities and Enlargement" had been multiplied by 3 on 2012, compared to 2011, growing at the Fastest Pace of all  (X 300% !), the ECC having even pointed particularly on Turkey recently...

Despite an Unilateral Concession made to Turkey recently by controversial French "Socialist" President Hollande (down to a Record Low of only 15% of sympathizers), who droped France's opposal to Ankara opening the Regional policy Chapter in its Negotiations with the EU, after  4 Years of Stagnation, the Turkish Government multiplied during the last few weeks various moves of Intransigeance, including by Droping any hope for a much needed New Constitution (Comp. Supra);  threatening to change the overMillenary Christian Church Sainte Sophie, Greek-Christian Empire Byzantin's jewel for 1 Thousand Years (500-1.453); calling Serbia's Christian Birthplace Kosovo : "Turkey" ;  threatening to intervene inside Syria if a compromise Solution accepted Kurds' Regional Autonomy as in Iraq ; Dimissing Western calls to stop armed Islamic Extremists from entering Syria by claiming that they can't be distinguished from .. Tourists  (sic !) ; having a Turkish Ship full of Weapons and destinated to Syria, caught by the Greek Navy ; erecting a "Wall" to Separate Kurds of Turkey from those in Syria, against whom Ankara's allies among Al Quaeda Islamist Extremists launched deadly Attaks ;  calling EU/CoE Member State Cyprus "Non Existent" ;  (etc)....  

 Speaking, later this Afternoon, at the Conclusion of a special meeting together with all other Sakharov Prize Winners during the last 25 Years, organized by the Franco-German origin European TV "ARTE" close to its Strasbourg's HeadQuarters, famous Kurdish dissident from Turkey, Leyla Zana, who has passed many Years in Turkish Prisons, as well as her Husband, was largely Applauded by the Audience, when she expressed the Hope, for all Children to be able to be taught in School in their own Mother tongue, including the Kurdish language, (one of the reportedly unresolved issues in Ankara's Constitutional Reforms' Failure), as she said the very same Day chosen by EU and UNO in order to commemorate the Rights of the Child.

 - With a Bitter, but Bright Smile, Leyla Zana replied later-on to an "EuroFora"s Question, on this same occasion, about whether she found that enough Progress had been made, or not, in Turkey on Human and Minority Rights as well as Democracy, since she had received EU Parliament's Sakharov Prize, back on 1994, (i.e. allmost 20 Years now : 1994-2013 !) :  - "Things are too Slow" she reacted with obvious regret in her eyes...