The
Sum of All Fears
Kurdish
conditions for helping America to change Iraq’s regime
Iraqi
Kurds Worry About U.S. Action
Akrê
Vegetable Oil Plant Opens
Turkey
battles Kurd rebels in north Iraq-agency
Financing
Iraqi Kurdistan's Literacy Effort
Saddam
'cleansing' of Kurds continues
Kurdish
Leaders Confer with UN FAO Delegation
HADEP
complains about increasing pressure after election rumors
To
EU praises Turkey easing for 'positive signs'
Reuters
May 31, 2002
The European Union praised Turkey's decision to ease emergency rule in its predominantly Kurdish southeast as a positive sign on Friday but said more had to be done to promote its hopes of joining the EU.
Turkey, which is trying to meet the political and economic criteria to be able to start of EU membership talks, decided not to renew emergency rule in Hakkari and Tuceli provinces when it expires on June 30.
"These are positive signs," said European Commission spokesman Jean-Christophe Filori of the decision by Turkey's military-dominated National Security Council. "These questions are among the priorities identified in accession to the EU."
Filori said Turkey needs to enact further human rights legislation, all of which will be taken into account in a report on Turkish progress which the EU plans to release in October.
In particular, Filori said the country should "rule out discrimination on the basis of origin, culture and language." He never mentioned the Kurds, but that was the clear reference of his remarks.
The
EU also wants Turkey to abolish the death penalty and ease curbs on Kurdish
language broadcasting and education.