T U RK I SH SOC I AL D EM OC RA C T IC VIEW Republican People’s Party
C H P
www.chp.org.tr
CHP-BXL/27-10
27 October 2009
CHP AND TURKE Y'S E U M EMBE RS HI P PROCESS Turkish Social Democratic View
CHP firmly supports Turkey’s EU process and asks the government to overcome its consistent failures. The EU process requires a pluralistic debate to which CHP contributes as the main opposition party. We also recently published a book entitled “Yes to Full Membership No to Special Partnership”. CHP asks better fulfilment of the EU's Copenhagen political criteria and more regulatory and social reforms. The support of the Turkish public to the EU membership goal is crucial and necessitates a sound political vision. It is on a clear record that the CHP has requested the limitation of the scope of the article 301 for enhanced freedom of expression and press, the reform for the independence of the judiciary, decisive anti-corruption measures including the case of Deniz Feneri charity case in Germany, women rights initiatives and the adoption of the law on labour unions. CHP proposed also a comprehensive economic growth programme and a detailed plan to solve the Kurdish question. CHP President Mr Baykal and Vice President Öymen visited Brussels in February meeting with the Commission President Barroso and Commissioner Rehn, the leaders of the Socialist Group and the European labour leaders (ETUC) and joining as guest of honour the inauguration of the Labour Friends of Turkey group at the European Parliament. He also inaugurated CHP’s EU Office in Brussels to promote Turkey’s EU membership process and better inform the EU public on the CHP’s social democratic policies. On 13 July 2009, in the extraordinary meeting of the CHP’s parliamentary group at the İsmail Cem Auditorium (CHP Headquarters), Mr Deniz Baykal launched an appeal to re-energise Turkey’s EU process More constitutional amendments can be envisaged to enhance the exclusively civil nature of the Turkish democracy. He underlined that the government’s approach should generate credibility and confidence in the eyes of the Turkish public and avoid short-sighted political moves and partial legislative manoeuvrings. Baykal emphasised the need for a comprehensive democratic reform package including: 1. Explicit interdiction of all forms tutorship, military or governmental, on the Turkish democracy (several articles of the Constitution, political parties law and the penal code are concerned) 2. Abolishment of the parliamentary immunities without limiting the right of expression of political opinion. 3. Independence of the High Board of Judges and Prosecutors, without political intervention (Justice minister as Chairperson and the undersecretary of the justice ministry as member is a practice in contradiction with the European standards)
C H P EUROPEAN UNION REPRESENTATION Republican People's Party – Turkey
( Member of the Socialist International )
11, Rond Point Schuman 1040 Brussels T: +32 2 256 7537
F: +32 2 256 7570
brussels@chp.org.tr
www.chp.org.tr
4. Limitation of the military courts’ competences in accordance with the Constitution and the European practices (All forms of military intervention in the political governance is a crime under the Turkish penal code and it is under civil jurisdiction. CHP defends the authority of the military courts exclusively for the military service and profession related cases) 5. Independent fiscal authority without governmental custody. (Manipulation of the tax administration for political pressure and undemocratic struggles against media and the business community is a non-military form of totalitarian political behaviour). 6. A transparent implementation of the EU reforms in explaining to the public their real contribution to Turkey’s social and economic life. ____________________________________________________________ Please refer as well to : http://brussels.chp.org.tr Facebook - CHP EU : www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=69239487060&ref=ts Twitter - CHP EU : https://twitter.com/CHPEU ____________________________________________________________
Main pillars of CHP’s policies in view of Turkey’s EU membership are the following: 1. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
CHP’s support to widening the freedom of expression goes beyond the Article 301 of the Turkish Criminal Code. All attempts limiting the freedom of expression should be eliminated. The parliament had accepted an amendment proposed by CHP on article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code which says that “no criticism should be punishable”. According to CHP, the freedom of expression has to be at the same level with the EU countries. CHP also asks the government to reform the judiciary system in accordance with the European Commission's report. This first requires guaranteeing the independence of judiciary by removing the Minister of Justice and his undersecretary from the chairmanship and membership of the High Board of Judges and Prosecutors civilians should be tried only in civilian courts. However CHP asked the Constitutional Court to annul two amendments adopted in the parliament by the votes of the majority on the competence of the military courts which were clearly in violation of article 145 of the Constitution. CHP has repeatedly made public its position against all attempts of military coups. The relevant article of the Constitution protecting the leaders of the 1980’s military coup from trial should be removed. Another issue is that the parliamentary immunity practically prevents the prosecution of members of parliament from corruption cases and other crimes. Despite the repeated suggestions of the EU Commission and CHP’s demands, the ruling party has refrained so far to take any action to lift parliamentary immunities for common criminality. Please see our detailed bulletin http://brussels.chp.org.tr/?Islem=BultenGoster&BultenID=57
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2. FREEDOM OF PRESS Free press and citizens’ right of access to information are among the fundamental freedoms, which should be better protected. Unfortunately, Prime Minister publicly called several times for the boycott of an important media group. The latter had just transmitted the news regarding the Deniz Feneri charity fraud with links in Germany and Turkey. These calls were followed by a rapid fiscal inquiry and unusually high and not clearly justified financial amends to the same media group. CHP brought this issue to the attention of the international community. Prime Minister’s frequent repetition of his boycott call and his defence of it before the public in Turkey and even in Brussels harms Turkey’s EU process. A climate of fear is growing in the Turkish media damaging the free public debate. 3. FREEDOM OF RELIGION The new program of CHP stands for a complete religious freedom. The rights of the citizens of the Turkish Republic irrespective of their religion, including Christian and Jewish citizens should be in compliance with the European standards and the Treaty of Lausanne. CHP requests that the status of “cemevi” Alevi’s prayer houses should be approved and the Alevis should fully live their religious freedom. CHP brought the Alevi’s problems before the Turkish Parliament. 4. KURDISH ISSUE Better articulated recognition of the Kurdish cultural rights, private broadcasting, and private language training and economic rehabilitation of the region are the main axis of the roadmap proposed by the CHP. We expect the government to discuss these proposals with the opposition parties and the wider public in view of a broad national consensus to solve the problems of the South East and meet the European standards. A viable solution of this problem necessitates without doubt equal opportunities between Southeast Anatolia and the rest of Turkey. The government has to boost investments in the region in the areas of education and health in the first place. (For the detailed position in the Turkish Social Democracy European Bulletin, http://brussels.chp.org.tr/?Islem=BultenGoster&BultenID=64 and http://brussels.chp.org.tr/Dosyalar/Belgeler/30_20090310172201_1.pdf ) 5. WOMEN RIGHTS Turkey was among the first countries of Europe who granted the women the right to vote and to be elected. But today the situation is not very promising. According to the UN Development Programme’s gender empowerment index Turkey ranked 63 in the world in 1962, today it has slipped to 90. Fighting against inequalities and social justice have always been central pillars of CHP social policies. Inequalities between men and women generate deeper social fractures in the rapidly developing countries. Turkish women should not be forced towards playing a second class role in the society. CHP’s gender equality approach envisages several measures: women data banks, Women Rights Council with monitoring and policy formulation competences, enhanced education opportunities for the girls, increase of the period of compulsory schooling to twelve years and sound family planning policies. We do not approve the government’s tendency of defining the role of women in the social life exclusively as “mother and wife” by encouraging them “to have at least three children”. Turkey needs a more qualified young generation grown up by better educated mothers and fathers. (Our opinions on this issue are expressed in the panel for Women Rights in Turkey organized at the European Parliament. You can find detailed information in our gender equality bulletin: http://brussels.chp.org.tr/?Islem=BultenGoster&BultenID=48)
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5. SOCIAL RIGHTS Despite CHP’s clear demands and the support of the majority of the labour unions and the employers, the government preferred not to pass the social legislation and consequently the relevant chapter of negotiations was not opened with the EU. This is a clear indication of the influence of the informal economy on the government’s policies which creates problems of public revenues and child labour among others. CHP’s policies cover a wide range of social issues: fighting the income disparities, equal payment to equal work, labour unions law in conformity with ILO standards. We are committed to reform the social state with the aim of universal health coverage and better protection of workers. The ILO standards and European social policies should be incorporated in the Turkish social system. The programme foresees gender equality in education, professional life and public service. 5. ECONOMIC GROWTH AND JOBS
In our programme we made extensive references to our privatisation policy based on efficiency and public interest. Suitable business environment for local and foreign investors will be promoted. We have promised government support for the R&D, information and communication technologies, biotechnology, genetics, nanotechnologies. We propose a comprehensive reform agenda on clean energy policies, more productive agriculture, modern education, regional development and sound fiscal system. We will support small and medium size companies. A priority will be given to job creation. The CHP's vision of Turkey is an entrepreneurial and social market economy and information society in line with the Lisbon agenda. On the other hand, the current global crisis implies rapid measures for the short term as first suggested by the CHP in the early 2009: (1) The Government should change its fundamental approach to the economic crisis. There is a need for a new program. Growth, inflation and deficit expectations should be redefined under a realistic program. The government should bring a new economic measures package once it ensures confidence. (2) The budget which was based on irrelevant assumptions should be fundamentally revised. The government should increase infrastructure investments, a key element in fighting against unemployment. (3) Value-added tax should be lifted or substantially reduced for six months in the key sectors, such as automotive and household appliances to boost demand. (4) The government should ease the fiscal policy and should declare a mid-term financial program. (5) Non-performing loans are on the rise resulting in a squeeze in the banking system. In order to remove the fear in the credit markets, a credit guarantee fund should be developed. (6) Employment costs, premiums and tax rates should be cut by 10 percent immediately. Turkey needs such reforms even if there was no crisis. (7) The resources within the unemployment fund should be used to cut the unemployment and new vocational training and life-long learning programmes should be adopted.
http://brussels.chp.org.tr
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