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Turkey's Progress Report approved by the European Parliament Plenary. The European Parliament (EP) Plenary voted yesterday on the annual Turkey Progress Report for 2013, prepared by rapporteur Ria Oomen-Ruijten, a member of the European People's Party (EPP).

Despite the positive references in the final text, this year's progress report is the most critical text adopted by the EC in recent years regarding Turkey, as the impasse and the unstable political situation that has developed within the country have brought Turkey's accession process to a breaking point.
In the resolution, MEPs express their strong concern, in particular regarding the laws on the separation of powers, the independence and impartiality of the judiciary and internet freedom, while they are particularly critical of the latest developments in the neighboring country with the extensive use of police violence and the "allegations of corruption" in the Turkish government.
On issues of particular Greek interest, the report once again condemns Turkey's refusal to withdraw the threat of casus belli against Greece, while following an amendment by the head of the New Democracy MEPs, Ms. Marietta Giannakou, in the Foreign Affairs Committee, Turkey is called upon to stop violations of Greek airspace and overflights of Turkish fighter jets over the Greek islands.
It is worth noting that the EP resolution reiterates, as last year, Turkey's explicit obligation to sign and ratify, without further delay, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), while at the same time calling on Turkey to respect the sovereign rights of all EU Member States, even making explicit reference to the right to extract and exploit their natural resources. 
At the same time, MEPs call on the Turkish government to take further action on the problems faced by members of the Greek minority on Imbros and Tenedos, in particular in relation to their property rights, and ask the Turkish authorities to encourage and facilitate expatriate minority families who wish to return to the island.
Regarding the Cyprus issue, the report calls on Turkey for the umpteenth time to recognize the Republic of Cyprus, proceeding immediately with the full implementation of the Ankara Protocol, while defending the sovereign rights of Cyprus and the agreements it concludes within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
During the debate in the EP Plenary, the leader of the New Democracy MEPs, Ms. Marietta Giannakou, argued that several of the positive elements contained in the report in favor of Turkey have already been refuted by reality, while she questioned Turkey's intention to become a member of the European Union, as it continues to refuse to recognize the entire EU and to implement the Ankara Protocol.
As he characteristically stated: “We assume that Turkey wants to become a member of the European Union. But it wants to become a member as it is today. Without changing anything. And this is a major political issue, which must be judged in political terms. Of course, this effort towards the Union helps Turkey itself to improve its situation, even if superficially, but in essence, as to whether or not it will become a member of the Union, the question marks still remain as to whether it really wants it or seeks it.”