Isn't Dangerous to leave only Rightist EuroSceptics to Defend EU Values ? EUParliament's Turkey test

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- People who really Love Europe, rightfully Criticize possible Errors which might Harm it, has warned new French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking at the Symbolic location of Historic "Pnyx" Hill, aside Acropolis, where Democratic Institutions' direct Debates with Citizens had been Born during the Best Times of Ancient Greek Civilisation, (just after succesfully Defending Europe from the Military Invasions of Persian Masses, followed by a landmark Period of Cultural/Scientific and Democratic Development), as he reminded in Athens since September 2017, in view of imminent Moves to Boost the EU, in the run up to 2019 European Elections, (See: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/macronatthehistoricsourcesofdemocracy.html).

 

Paradoxically, EU Parliament's current Debates and Votes, this Week, here in Strasbourg, point also OverSeas : At the new US President Don Trump's 1st "State of the Union" Speech in the American Congress, at Washington DC last week (See relevant "Eurofora"s NewsReport at: ...), where he notoriously Chose to point at the territorial Defeat of Deadly Islamist Terrorists of ISIS, who cowardly Targetted innocent Civilian People, as one of the Most Important Achievements of his 1st Year of Governance (2017 : Together with an Economic ReVival):

He precisely said : - "Last year I pledged that we would work with our Allies to extinguish ISIS from the face of the earth. One year later, I'm proud to report that the Coalition to defeat ISIS has Liberated almost 100 % of the Territory once held by these Killers in Iraq and Syria"

- "But there is much more work to be done. We will continue our fight until ISIS is defeated", he also warned.

It's a Notorious Fact that among those "Allies" of the "Coalition" against "ISIS' Killers" particularly concerning the "Liberation of Territory", as President Trump observed, were (and, hopefully, still are) the Syrian Kurds, traditionally living since Historic Times, across what is now Turkey's Borders with Syria, who Faced big Risks (remember f.ex. Kobane City's Attacks by ISIS' Terrorists, the 2 Biggest Massacres of Civilian People by Terrorist Explosions inside Turkey, near is Southern Borders close to Kobane, and even at an Ankara square, which Killed mainly pro-Kurdish political activists and/or fans, etc), but Succeeded even to Liberate Raqqa City, the Long-time ISIS' "Capital", etc.

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Leftist Turkish MEP from Germany, Kurcu, recently Reminded, at CoE's PanEuropean Parliamentary Assembly, at the End of January 2018, in Strasbourg, that a Popular "Symbol" of that Heroic Resistance and finally succesfull Fight had become also the World Famous Syrian Kurdish Women, who helped Liberate also many Yazidi a.o. Women kidnapped and abused as "Sex Slaves" etc. by ISIS' Jihadists, (as those who were awarded CoE's and EU's Prizes for Human Rights and Freedom of Conscience recently in Strasbourg : See ... + ...), Pictured at Global Mainstream Medias' FrontPage Headlines, such as in "TIMES" Magazine, etc., (See relevant Photo, and Comp. "Eurofora"s NewsReport from PACE's Debate at: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/pacebureauslamsturkishinvasioninsyria.html).

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But, Suddenly, only a Few Days later, since the Beginning of February 2018, the World Wide Web was filled by Atrocious Photos and/or Videos showing Turkish Military's armed Cronies (mainly various Islamist Radicalized Gangs, including "Al Queda" Terrorists' successors, etc), to Sadically trample underfoot the ...Mutilated and Sullied body of such a Syrian Kurdish Woman, Killed, Exhibited and ill-treated by such a Band of Coward Thugs who Invaded the Syrian Kurdish Region of Afrin, (one of the Few to have remained relatively Stable and Calm, even during all that Destructive Syrian Conflict, as reportedly observed US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis) !

=> Immediately afterwards, an Exceptional Article published in France's (one of UN SC's 5 Permanent Members, and with Historic links to Syria-Lebanon-Southern Turkey, etc) Mainstream Newspaper "Figaro", stressed, in its Headlines, that Paris is now Obliged to "Choose" between the "Islamists" radicals around Turkey, and the Syrian Kurdish People, who helped Save many People and Territories from ISIS and other Deadly Islamist Terrorists...

At the Forefront of that Article was, precisely, the Horrible ill-treatment of that Syrian Kurdish Young Woman, whose Mutilated, Killed and Sullied body was Sadically Exhibited and trampled underfoot by those Cowards Turkey's Cronies Armed Gangs - Together with a Sharply Critical Statement, by new French Minister of Defence Florence Parly (as, earlier, her USA counterpart, Mattis : Comp. Supra), who reportedly urged for the Turkish Military to practically Stop its Invasion and Withdraw its troops from Syria. Meanwhile, French President Macron, in 2 successive Statements, had reportedly Warned Ankara that, if the Turkish Military did not stay where it was until that Day, then, its Attack would be assimilated to an "Invasion", and that would raise "Serious Problems", (which must be Discussed inside the EU, NATO, etc).

To the point that such Atrocious Crimes (there is, already, at least anOther Similar Case, according to several reports), inevitably gave a Topical Feeling to the (otherwise somewhat Naive) Headline of a parallel Article, published at Mainstream "Jerusalem Post" by a Couple of Writers linked to USA's Washington DC, with the premonitory claim that the Syrian "Kurdish Fight is Humanity's Fight" : Indeed, many were naturally "Shocked" to see that those People who notoriously Risked their Lives to Help EU, Russia and USA, as well as other Allies, to succesfully Fight against ISIS' Deadly Islamist Terrorists who cowardly Targeted innocent Civilian People everywhere, with particularly Bloody Massacres throughout the EU, in Russia, USA, etc., were, Nowadays, facing Deadly Military Attacks added to Vile, Atrociously InHuman and Degrading Treatments, without any elementary Respect not even for their Body, after being Killed by a Turkish Military and its Cronies, who notoriously were, during many Years, ...ISIL's Islamist Terrorists' local Suppliers, massively Offering and Exploiting Jihadists' arrivals and departures, Trafficks of Weapons, Stolen Oil/Gas or Cultural Heritage Artworks' traffick, Money Laundering, even Fake Passports/ID Cards' traffick for infiltration of Terrorists, etc, as it's well known...

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This Moved, apparently, at least some Officials inside EU Parliament, if we judge by the Fact that it Symbolically Decided to place, this Week in Strasbourg, its Debate on Turkey and Human Rights, including also Ankara's Military Invasion of the Syrian Kurdish Region of Afrin, on Tuesday Afternoon, after an Introductory Debate on ..." Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation", (but clearly Separated from another Debate on Opening Accession Negotiations with Western Balkan Countries), since the Turkish Problem was, finally, located only Between ...ZImbabwe and Venezuela (sic !), (even if it might be quite Unfair for Zimbabwe at the current situation, as an "Eurofora"s fan observed... See: http://www.eurofora.net/forum/index.php/topic,870.msg1152.html + relevant Photo of EU's Agenda)...

And, naturally, Many MEPs critically Reminded, during the subsequent EU Parliament's Public Debate, Tuesday Afternoon in Strasbourg the notoriously Important Role that Syrian Kurdish Militants (including Women : Comp. Supra) have, undeniably, played in the Recent Liberation of large Syrian and Iraqi Territories from ISIS and other Deadly Islamist Terrorists, that USA's President Don Trump had just HighLighted at his 1st "State of the Union" Speech at the Congress (Comp. Supra). While EU's High Representative for External Action, Federica Mogherini, stressed here from the outset, mainly EU's "Deep Concern", First of all about "the Humanitarian Consequences" of Turkey's Military Attack in Syria's Kurdish Region of Afrin, where Many Civilian People (including Children) have already been Killed, while several Thousands are becoming Refugees/Displaced People, in Addition to obvious "Political" Risks to Hamper International Efforts to Find a Peacefull Solution and Outcome to the Syrian Conflict, (mainly through UN Talks at nearby Geneva), while also Not making Turkey's security better, (if it doesn't even make it worse), as she Carefully Warned...

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=> In Consequence, (and given also a Parallel serious Worsening of the Already very Negative situation of Massive Human Rights' Violations inside Turkey itself, including more recent Reports of Torture/Inhuman-Degrading Treatments in Prisons, the maintainance of many Thousands of various Socio-Political Dissidents in Jail, New Mass Prosecutions of Critics, after 1.700 Civil Servants dismissed, + 600 Arrests of People just Last Week simply for Publishing at the Internet Criticism of the Military Invasion in Syria, etc), Many MEPs, from Various Political Horizons, of the Right and of the Left, clearly observed, during the above-mentioned EU Parliament's Debate, Tuesday Afternoon, that, simply "Talking again" about Turkey, (as they have already done several Times in the Recent Past, between 2015-2017), is no more enough, since, after all those Events, including the latest Horrible Crimes (comp. supra), EU should, at last, Decide to impose some Real and important "Sanctions" on that Turkish regime.

- Among many and various other concrete examples, f.ex., speaking on behalf of the Biggest Political Group, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, even Romanian MEP Cristian Dan Preda, who had, in the Past, personally Supported Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU Accession bid, (as he Reminded), nevertheless, "Today", "Believed" that it was "Inconcievable to Continue Talking about Turkey's Accession into the EU", but, on the Contrary, EU should Better think about a kind of "Partnership" with Ankara, instead, and "Focus on Human Rights", (as concluded the New Chairman of EU Parliament's Human Rights' Committee). He was essentially, more or less, Supported, in such a Critical Direction, also by Many Other MEPs, from the Far Right up to, even, several Leftists, during a very Long and "Hot" Public Debate, full of Various Criticisms of the Turkish regime's recently added massive Wrongdoings against Human Rights, Peace and International Law : People, and particularly EU Citizens, need Action (i.e. concrete Sanctions) and No More simple Words, stressed Most of them in substance.

+ Even several among the various Draft Resolutions initially presented by Most Political Groups individually, did contain, Both Sharp Criticism and certain Appeals for concrete Sanctions. This came after a notorious Schulz- Merkel TV Debate at the eve of the latest German Elections, where Both appeared to Drop Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU Accession bid, (even if "Socialist" Party's Bureaucracy and/or some Foreign Lobbies, or Fringe Groups might, eventually, push to hang around that UnPopular Claim further on), while New French President Macron has recently Raised explicitly the Question whether Turkey should Better have a "Partnership" with the EU, instead of vainly insisting on its Controversial EU Accession bid, which doesN't seem reachable at all, in order to be Honest and Realistic...

A fortiori Nowadays, when EU Commission has just Announced at EU Parliament in Strasbourg its forthcoming Strategy for the Western Balkans' Countries, proposing, in sum, to Open Accession Negotiations with them, but not foreseeing any Full Accession into the EU unless, perhaps, for Serbia and Montenegro around 2025, Turkey obviously seems Threatenend to be Again ByPassed and Overtaken in Speed by even More Other "Fresh" Candidate Countries, as it has already been done Earlier with Croatia, (which had Started EU Negotiations Later than Turkey, but naturally Succeeded to become EU Member meanwhile, as the presence of Croat President Andrej Plenkovic, Tuesday Morning in Strasbourg, for an EU Parliament Debate on the "Future of Europe", Topically Reminded).

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But, Suddenly, a Draft "Joint" Resolution just tabled in the Name of 7 Political Groups, while more or less Clearly Criticizing most Turkey's heavy Shortcomings and even Worse recent developments, mainly to the Detriment of Human Rights and Democracy inside the Country, nevertheless, Surprisingly, does Not seem to add Any concrete Sanction, Despite the recent Turkish Authorities' serious supplementary Wrongoings, and it's hardly if it even mentions Ankara's Deadly Military Invasion of Syria's Kurdish Region of Afrin, neither the first Horrible Crimes already committed by its Armed Cronies there (Comp. Supra) !

It's true that, at least, that "Joint" Draft does Remind and "Reiterate" simply the already known fact that EU Parliament had, Previously, asked for EU - Turkey's "Accession" process to be "Frozen" (2016) or "Suspended" (2017), "IF" a Controversial Referendum's Anti-Democratic Recipes were "implemented" withOut Any "Change" (sic !). And that from "the (EU) Commission's Initial Proposal for 2018 EU Budget", (Traditionally more or less Restricted, Afterwards, during the Final Decisions by EU Council and Parliament), MEPs have already "Cut 105 Millions €" among the Foreseen "Turkey’s pre-accession funds", "with further 70 Millions € held en Reserve", unless Ankara makes "Sufficient Improvements" in "democracy, the rule of law, human rights and press freedom", as that "Joint" Draft's Preliminary Alineas also Remind.

But, obviously, it's Not yet Clear if the 1st Point has already been Realized, or not, and what it might really mean in Practice, until when, etc. While the 2nd Point doesn't really stand the Comparison with the More than 1 Billion € routinelly given to Turkey by the EU Annually as "PreAccession" Aid, (added to about 4 or 5 Billions € of Low-Cost EIB Loans each Year, as Turkish Officials have previously anounced at a Meeting on the Sidelines of EU Parliament's Plenary in Strasbourg), Together with the Supplementary +3 Billions € per Year, that Ankara's Government has Notoriously Blackmailed the EU to promise for a supposed Monitoring of Mass Migrations through Turkey towards the EU, (after that Sudden, UnPrecedented, Huge "Tsunami" of more than 1,5 Millions of Mass Asylum Seekers/Irregular Migrants thrown into the EU through Turkey and via EU Member Greece, that, anyway, had Already Started to Drastically Drop Down, and was Drasticaly Curtailed since the First Half of February 2016 Measures of Borders' Closure for the Western Balkans' Route, notoriously taken by Hungary and Other EU Member States, Long-Before a Controversial EU - Turkey Deal Starts to Enter into Force, Later-on, from the End of March 2016, as "Eurofora" has clearly found and published, Based on Solid Facts cited by UN and/or IOM competent International Organisations, Afterwards Achnowledged, at least partly, also by mainstream German Medias, EU Council's Secretariat in Brusels itself, etc. : See ... + ... + ...).

    And, at any case, there is Nothing there, Not Any Sanction at all, for all the New, Additional, serious Wrongdoings, also committed by the Turkish Authorities Recently, and/or Revealed Nowadays, (Neither for More Grave Human Rights' Violations, such as, f.ex., fresh Reports about "Torture" of Prisoners, the Revelation of the Blatant InEfficiency of that Turkish "Commission of Enquiry" set up by Ankara in reponse to CoE's strong Criticism for Massive Human Rights' Violations of various Jailed Dissidents, and/or the Contempt shown even for the Country's "Constitutional Court"'s scarce rulings in favor of a Few Arrested Dissidents, again Imprisoned, etc). Neither for the Current Deadly Turkish Military Invasion of Syrian Kurdish Region "Afrin", (except from an Elementary, but purely Verbal "Condemnation" of "the most recent -reportedly "600"- Arrests of journalists, activists, doctors and ordinary citizens for Expressing their Opposition to the Turkish Military Intervention in Afrin").

It's just a Last-Minute Amendment, tabled by 3 Groups (EPP, Socialists and EFDD), which, at least, aims to express a "Serious Concern about the Humanitarian Consequences of the Military Intervention in this Kurdish-majority region of Syria, and Warns Against the Continuation of Disproportionate Actions", as it says.

But, will Ankara feel really Worried by just another EU "Concern", and/or verbal "Warning" against only some (Undetermined) "Disproportionate" Military Actions inside Syria ? Obviously, given a Long and the Recent Experience of Turkish Government's usual Behavior, ... it looks quite Doubtful that Ankara might, eventually, Feel Obliged to Make any important Move, Only Because of that...

+ Moreover, curiously, Lacks in that Draft even a Simple Reminder of the Notorious Fact that the Syrian Kurdish People have just Succesfully Fought (and still do at the Eastern areas), side by side, as TrustWorthy and Efficient "Allies" with the International Coalition against the Deadly ISIS' Islamist Terrorists cowardly Targetting innocent Civilian People, (whose Retreat has just been Praised as a Number 1 Achievement by New US President Don Trump : Comp. Supra)... Why that Ommission and Silence at such a Key Point, (which is Still Topical, since ISIS did Not yet completely Disappear from the Map, as Trump Warned) ?  

=> Should, necessarily, People be Obliged to go towards ...EuroSceptic Rightists' of the "Europe of Nations and Freedom" Group, in order to Find, at last, an Elementary Mention of the Notorious Fact that "the local Kurdish militia is an important Ally against Da’esh (ISIS) and other Islamist terrorist organisations", as a Part of an ENF's Amendments simply Reminds ?

+ As for a clear "Call for an Immediate Retreat of Turkish armed forces from Syrian territory" and/or  "for an immediate Ceasefire", while "heavily Condemning any Further Military Action in Syria by the Turkish military", (Comp. French President Macron's Warning, cited Supra), as well as for "every possible measure (to) be taken to Avoid a new Humanitarian Crisis", given also "Fears that the Offensive of the Turkish Army could lead to a new Refugee Crisis in this area, as 5 000 People are already Displaced in the region, and that this could also affect Europe", Why should People be also referred Only to "ENF"'s Amendments ?


+ As for the Fact that "Turkey has been facing alarming Islamic Radicalisation" during Recent Years, (also Added by anOther "ENF" Amendment), even if somewhat Exagerated, perhaps, it isn't, however, Entirely False, and could be Expressed more Accurately and Rightfully Mentioned also by several Mainstream, pro-European People, (since even many Turks Denounce a Galoping and Excessive "Islamization" hastily and artificially imposed by above, concerning a Topical Issue which notoriously interesses also many EU Citizens nowadays). By the way : The 1st Time that "Eurofora"s co-Founder heard someone Protest and Warn against some "Foreign" (then, Bill Clinton's US Administration) Networks' alleged "Pressure to Impose a rampant Islamization", it was, already as Early as Before 1992, by an ...Arab Muslim Friend from Algeria, Professor at Strasbourg's University, (protesting Spontaneously, at his own Initiative) !...

=> Finally, the Most Important : As far as concrete and serious EU Measures are concerned, that "Joint" Draft Resolution only contains 1 thing alone :  - A call ... "to Increase (EU Financial) Support to Turkish Civil Society"... I.e., as if All NGOs would be ...Heroic Dissidents daring Criticize the current Turkish Governments' policies !

All Other MEP's calls for, at last, some serious "Sanctions" on Turkey, (at least a Part of what has been, f.ex., Imposed on Russia, a Culturally and Historically European Country), that Many Asked from Various Political Horizons during EU Parliament's Debates since Tuesday, (Comp. Supra), and which were Also contained in at least Some among the Initial "Draft" Resolutions Tabled, Earlier this week, by certain mainstream Political Groups, (even of the Left !) ... they have all, curiously ..." Disappeared" at this "Joint" Draft, (even ChristianDemocrat/EPP Group's representative, MEP Dan Preda, vice-President of EU Parliament's Human Rights Comittee's, above-mentioned Appeal to Drop Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU Accession bid, for a "Partnership" deal : Comp. Supra)...

=> So that, it Remains (again) only an ..."ENF"s Amendment, clearly "Calling" to "put a definitive End to the Negotiations on the Accession of Turkey to the EU, without delay", and/or to "definitively Suspend (All) the pre-accession Funds", as well as to "Stop negotiations on the (New, Further Extended) Customs Union between the EU and Turkey" : I.e. 3 Concrete and serious, Real Sanctions.

Why should even sincerely convinced pro-European People be, necessarily, Obliged to address themselves Only to Euro-Sceptic Rightists' Amendments, in order to be Able and Free to Defend some core European Values, even in front of Evidence of Horrible War Crimes (comp. Facts cited Supra) ?

It's true that, Earlier this Week in Strasbourg, even a Mainstream Young MEP from the incoming EU Presidency of 2018 January-June by Bulgaria, as ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP Eva Maydell, recently Elected as New President of the "European Movement" at International level, (Comp. President Maydell's Statements to "Eurofora" at : ...), clearly stressed that the Rightist "Patriot" Party which participates in the current Government, (together with the Experienced, 3 Times Prime Minister, and frequent EPP + EU Summits' participant in Brussels, Boyko Borisov's Party of "Citizens for European Development"), serve, in Fact, also "Pro-European" Aims, according to that New Coalition's Agreement on their Joint "Program" for their 2018 EU Council's Presidency. (See also Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the CoE, and Experienced former EU Affairs Minister's relevant Statements to "Eurofora", already as Early as since 2017 at the CoE in Strasbourg, at: ..).

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+ And Austria's subsequent EU Presidency, from July to December 2018, under Young Prime Minister Sebastien Kurz, the new ChristianDemocrat/EPP Leader, (Comp. Kurz's Statements to "Eurofora" in Brussels at: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/austriankurzmetalsowithnorwaypm.html), will Also have to prove that Same Key Point, in real Practice, as it's well known, immediately afterwards. Given the notorious Fact that, after the New Elections, its Coalition Partners are from the Rightist "Freedom" Party, ("FPÖ": including the vice-Chancellor, the Foreign Minister, etc), which participates in EU Parliament's Group of "ENF", author of the above-mentioned, dissident Draft Resolution on Turkey, this week, which (until now) is the Only one to seek new Sanctions and clearly Condemn, asking to stop Turkey's Military Invasion in Syria's Kurdish Region (Comp. Supra).

As Finland will, also, soon take over CoE's Presidency, for the PanEuropean Organisation of Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, (already Chaired, Nowadays, by Denmark), as Norway still Competes with Switzerland and/or Canada for the title of World's Best Quality of Life, awarded by UNO's Experts at nearby Geneva, (all Countries involving Nowadays various Rightists in recent Coalition Governments, recently added to the Czech Republic, etc)... 

But, Meanwhile, Tomorrow Noon, when EU Parliament's crucial "Voting Time" will come, will MEPs feel Free to Vote, at least, for an ... "Euro-Left"s Amendment which clearly Criticizes the Deadly Turkish Military Invasion of Syria's Kurdish Region of Afrin as an "illegal" move ?

Or, once again, all the Real pro-Europeans, who wish, at last, that EU Dares take a Real Sanction of Turkey's obvious Brutal and Massive Oppression of peaceful Dissidents and Critics' elementary Human Rights, but also old and New, Horrible War Crimes (comp. Facts Supra), should, necessarily, be Abandoned withOut Any Other Possibility than to Use Rightist EuroSceptics' Amendments ?

Why core European (and Human) Values risk to be Minimized, in real Practice, when it comes to Turkey, by some Representatives of our Friends of the Mainstream "Pro-European" Groups ?

Does, Everybody involved, really Stay Faithful, (when it comes to Hard "tests" as that of Turkey), to what Sincere pro-European EU Citizens Believe to be core European Values ?

>>> Will the Real Europeans Wake Up, as the Time for the forthcoming, Crucial 2019 EU Elections approaches Fast ? 

(../..)

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