establishes legal channels that should be used. the commission is ready to consider any improvements they european parliament would consider necessary in this respect. that is why we need to work for swift adoption of a package that some of the member states would like to see >> the following day in the european parliament catherine ashton briefed members about political unrest in turkey where protesters had been demonstrating against the government, this is an hour. >> and about to get the thoughts

to the heads, lady ashton from the european commission to report on the situation in turkey. >> in many ways a tough situation. can i say to distinguished members of the european parliament i am grateful for the discussions i had with some of you over the last two days. as you have seen less night turkish police launched a major offensive to review istanbul. there was intensive use of teargas from what we saw. and reports of widespread injuries. this is a major cause of concern. by following events closely from the start and make two statements, one from my

spokesperson and directing myself from june and a coordinated closely with my colleagues, who was under ground in turkey last week, meeting with the prime minister as well as a meeting with civil society representatives, many of you will have seen what he said from speeches he gave and i paid tribute to his work. i think it is fair to say we believe we have seen too much excessive police force over the last two weeks, close range use of tear gas, peppers prayers, plastic bullets against those who have been overwhelmingly peaceful. several thousands have been injured, it tends of them severely, some at aggressive teargas and had to stay and three have died. for their families a serious situation has become a tragedy. i express again on behalf of

myself deep sympathy for those who are were injured. we have been very clear in statements that i repeat again, and excessive use of force by members of the police against peaceful demonstrators must be swiftly and thoroughly investigated and those responsible held accountable. the in financial concerns of the initial demonstrators have developed into wider concerns of a significant portion of society who feel their voice is not heard today in turkish politics. there's a real polarization of opinion. this could risk adding to the attention, we need to see a they escalation. the answer is in gateman to. we have a call for peace and dialogue in an important piece of moderation.

union leaders and representatives promised lessons will be learned about the need for greater public dialogue in the future. prime minister erdogan is due to meet a representative today, this is an important opportunity to find a way forward based on dialogue, tolerance and mutual respect. we know turkey as a candidate country needs to aspire to the highest possible democratic standards on practices. these include the freedom to express opinion and assemble peacefully. the freedom of them media and freedom of religion, democratically elected governments. even the most successful of them which have enjoyed three election victories still need to take account of the needs and expectations of those who don't feel represented and peaceful demonstrations are a legitimate way for such groups to express their views. i have also been surprised by

the domestic media coverage given in turkey and attempts to condemn and restrict the use of social media which has been a prime form of communication, freedom of the media is a concern in turkey. it is right for the european union to jam the and as a channel to exercise freedom of speech. social media should not be seen primarily as a source of problems but as a valuable conduit for communications, for protests and dialogue. this is an important moment for turkey. a chance to review its commitment to european values and to grace the culture which values diverse opinion, different lifestyles and open debate. turkey's response of treaties past years have already been truly impressive and let's remember it is this turkish government that shows vision and bravery in embarking on a peace

process to resolve the kurdish question. i am convinced the challenge, use this moment to take steps forward and expanding fundamental rights and freedoms. this is not the moment to disengage from turkey but to engage closer and for turkey to engage more closely with the e.u. too. my own foreign policy job in turkey is increasingly close in april, a dialogue at the highest level must be kept up. when times are challenging. last december's council stressed the importance of active and credible negotiations, the need for those negotiations to regain momentum. to open a new negotiation chapters this month and in reach of a new dialogue and signature of readmission agreements. in light of current events we

should engage with turkey more on these chapters, for reform efforts. and our relationship with turkey offered an opportunity to influence the usage. we need to make the most of all the tools we have and of course turkey needs to work with us. it is clear to me the case for engagement is doubly compelling now. thank you, mr. president. [applause] >> thank you very much for that report. this brings us -- >> what started peaceful turns now into violence. the images have made an impact.

not only in turkey, in europe and the world. in this parliament we recognize the importance of reforms, reforms in order to safeguard fundamental freedoms and also include the right to protest. it is not only about reforms. it is also about perception. if the comments of prime minister erdogan would have been more sensitive, the language would have been more sensitive, and governing to revolt for him would be more sensitive this would that have happened but i totally agree that democracy is

more than elections. the majority needs to consider the position of the minority. today mr. erdogan is meeting, i sincerely hope, this opportunity to present himself as leader of all citizens. democracy needs a competent constructive opposition that also fits. i believe there are at least challenges for the opposition. this european parliament has consistently emphasized the freedom in turkey and the past 2 weeks have concern our concerns and the recent events, as we

are, to turkey. >> thank you. i want to thank kathy ashton, a very clear statement. and these clear statements. and the unchanged, and has to change unless he wants to take turkey away from europe and the respect of european values. and the last election to eliminate. and demonstrating the taxing place and very strange the one

who started his career, specialist prime minister to fight against the deep states to push the military affect which is a good thing and yours is what is taken as the police, demonstrators, uniform and those in plain clothes and he is using this instrument. and the democratic government through demonstrations, there are hooligans as well, in all the demonstrations all around the world, peaceful demonstrations people come, peaceful demonstrations. these demonstrators are such hooligans should not be suspected. still agree with their vice

president that we need more engagement and start immediately to negotiate chapter 23-24 with turkey because these are the issues, and the turkish government, ready to go to europe or not. and the country with the highest number of jenna lists in prison relative to a member of journalists, has nothing to do with democracy. if mr. erdogan wants to solve the issue which i would like him to see, for the same time he put a lot of people into prison because this issue, perhaps have someone think the careless issue for him to be the president of a

stronger presidency in turkey. to draw the consequences, the last point, to play a big role, how can this be the role model for their observed and president and politicians if it is the young generation like it does. to the normal way to be a good president. and mr. elegant would have had to change. and this turkey is represented today by mr. erdogan, cannot have a place in europe, mr. erdogan would have to change turkey. [applause] >> translator: mr erdogan got a

clear card. thank you. and a portrait of the situation, a lot of analysis read in the media but a question to you, just a few weeks ago you had a debate on freedom for the west balkans and the accession of turkey you want to talk to a solution to everything, you want freedom from bosnia to the balkans but how does that fit in to the reality, and negotiations with turkey on the subject? >> my dear colleague, your idea blinds you and presents you from

seeing reality, nobody said we wanted to include everybody east of croatia, has nothing to do with it, and we have got to give people a chance, must take that chance for not taking the chance. so turkey can be a democratic country. >> thank you. i found the first statement of the union on the second and ninth of june, at least in one aspect not popular. when he went to turkey, in both states, the second and the ninth not only do you express your concern but more important you ask and i quote now, restraint

on all sides. could you please explain what sort of restraint you expected from the peaceful demonstrators? peaceful demonstrators confronted with a brutal police forces and also peaceful demonstrations facing teargas, cannons and rubber bullets. i was surprised, mr. chairman, disappointed that union has again chosen to be ambivalent in the face of what is a clear violation of human rights by the state for the moment in turkey, a state that is a candidate for accession in the european union. what has happened in turkey is a clear violation of human rights and we all know that it is not an isolated case.

in turkey we have seen over the last year's a growing horatian of the fundamentals of democracy and its look at the media for example, already given as an example, turkey today, i call it the biggest prison for journalists in the world. according to the border, it is ranked 154 and three places above the law last dictatorship in europe. and that happened in turkey. and i didn't hear that from european union's. in their message what is happening in turkey comes with abuse from excess of states. i called it from a majority, a system in which the position taken by a majority are always more important than the rights

of minorities, always more important than the rights of individual people land going beyond turkey, look to russia, vladimir putin, to hungry, now we are talking about turkey. let me be clear. i am not questioning and i don't ask you to question the democratic mandates of the elected government of turkey. what i am questioning and asking you is to stand up against the deterioration of democracy that is becoming more and more what i call democritude. before you use your hammer my group is a strong supporter of the european turkey, not at turkeys at turns its back to european values.

>> thank you. >> translator: a question. >> thank you very much. you are talking about stopping the negotiations because as you said turkey cannot run because it doesn't meet the criteria with everything past. i am a european federalist like you. we could have but european federation, we could have a european federation with a non-european country like turkey. >> i don't think turkey is the non-european country. if you go to istanbul you know you are in constantinople and in my opinion constantinople was

always part of your. the ottoman empire was part of the allies in europe. it is not a question of religion. we are multi-cultural in europe, multi religious state in europe and can be a place for turkey, there can be a place for turkey in europe. if the european values and european principles, freedom of speech and real democracy. that is the key question and other criteria of copenhagen, not an old-fashioned discussion about culture and language. i come from belgium. >> translator: thank you. >> mr. president. >> translator: thanks, mr. president. i am very pleased we are having

a debate on this, it shows we have all understood there is something going on in turkey. the question is what is going on? i think it is something we should be worried about. we feel, one feels a civil society and citizens really getting involved. that is promising for completion of turkish democracy but also worrying because the response has been so far to go down the authoritarian repressive road using security forces and that moves us in the direction of oppression. what can the european institution do? this situation which is still fluid, changeable, we can try to move the energy in the direction

of deepening democracy and as europeans that is what we should try to do. i am surprised, looking at what is being said on the platform's demand, very simple and very clear. i don't really see why they don't enjoy the suppression. we can all agree on that. stop this consultation carried out before them, a desire to be participating and participate in what is going to happen in istanbul, we can agree with that as well. a demand for an inquiry into the series events which have occurred, serious because people have died and been wounded and are in prison and got files open upon them and people,

demonstrators are in jail so what is happening is something which has everything at stake. people's freedoms recognized, that is what europe is all about. i think the changes the government wants to bring about, large groups of people who have gravitated around this cause and done so because they are against a regime which at janelle has still not, being careful in what i say, this government will be able to go down the road of consultation, discussion, dialogue and calling things down. that is not the case at the present time. it is amazing, all of the concerns expressed in this house

about turkish democracy and journalism in our reports. true, we have seen the three or four biggest neighbors in the country are effectively ignoring what is going on, just -- of we want to help and be useful we as europeans should make a proposal and say to open these negotiations, the unreasonable develop, 23-24 to have a dialogue about fundamental freedoms that they are demanding today. thank you. >> translator: let's start with a truth debate to be able to say what we think. when we have. cards and people don't stick to

the time frame. next speaker please. >> i would say we need to step back and be cautious in our analysis. of course we all condemned the heavy-handed police response to demonstrations, these actions have been condemned, but what is not clear is whether the demonstrations are a reliable indication of widespread and simmering popular discontent that will fester and need to be addressed. many of us want the best for turkey. it would be a shame if the good legacy of ataturk would be diluted in modernization, tolerant, democratization and removal of religious influence from political life while remaining a strong gravity of land. more recently we have seen adherence to in nato and great progress towards western liberal

democracy and market capitalism delivered in almost economic progress. i have always said, mr. president, we should not be surprised, we are not at that stage. and in the shape and direction, have to take place in the next few years so to have a closer union and looser, more flexible european union focused on the single market rather than political integration that this sort of european union will more easily accommodate countries such as turkey. >> translator: thank you. >> thank you, mr. president. throughout the debate, significant achievements in reducing the debt and paying off

loans. the bond he himself, policies have helped nurture emergence of the turkish middle-class. big achievement in deeds. ironically today, this middle class that presents a large majority of the people that are out protesting against what they believe to be a violation of their freedoms and secular life style. it is safe to say we are witnessing the development of a non secular political islam in turkey which creates absolute terror that we see now all in the streets so are we moving away from secular democracy in turkey?

until now there was hope this could be replicated in the other countries in the middle east. he made the mistake on himself personally, it is difficult for him to back up now so i think we must have confidence, despite putting his signature on legislation he is the only politician who has shown willingness for compromise. >> i certainly believe democracy means respect for minorities. democracy means listening carefully to the people who may not agree with us.

when freedom is coupled with readiness to give space to the others that is democracy. it is more than the texas government has no idea with respect to what the opinion means. one would expect to be more understanding and tolerance. and personally a few days ago. we fully support the demonstrators because they have a right to demonstrate and we call on the turkish government and police forces to refrain from further acts of violence. i have but word of advice for the government. there can be no democracy in turkey without getting to the terrorists and their complement toll-free thems, dare can be no democracy in turkey without restoring the fundamental rights

of a separate. and democracy will arrive in turkey, that they decide to throw the occupation army from my country. democracy in turkey will flourish when they withdraw their troops from cyprus. >> thank you very much. >> last month, ready to speed up the talks with turkey, so pleased with what he called progress in turkey and was invited to brussels. that is an epic mistake and look what is happening all. demonstrations in turkey might have been sudden but you can't

say the same about the repression being carried out. we had our warnings but the european union is blind to reality, and is now all -- fields has an attitude on the part of the european union. miss ashton says the e.u. is determined to maintain the dialogue with turkey so once again rolling out the red carpet, this is completely absurd. enough is enough. as far as my party is concerned, not welcome at all in brussels, the e.u. is not worth very much indeed. thank you. >> translator: thank you.

ladies and gentlemen, our first duty as members of the house is to express our regret for the violence and loss of life in istanbul and need to express firm commitment to freedom of expression to demonstrate and the right of minorities. we need to act in a responsible way in the e.u. not leading to radicalization or polarization and coming up with solutions based on dialogue, mutual understanding and mutual respect. i don't think we should ignore the importance of what is happening in turkey and there is a debate, not a question whether we are reacting, how bad your early or late. the representatives have responded well and i think the important thing is that we remember that we can't allow ourselves to see destabilize

turkey, an active partner of the e.u. introduced many reforms, is a firm ally within the atlantic alliance, taken risks thanks to the invasion of kuwait, important to start trafficing oil across the black sea is concerned, important elements in the arab springer, received 400,000 syrian refugees. we need to make sure the e.u. keeps a close eye on the situation and doesn't interfere too much and need to manage these by allowing responsibility to be taken by the right people and we need to act in a consistent way consistent with the values in europe, thank you.

>> translator: thank you. >> turkey made in the last two news tremendous economic progress. it tripled the size of its economy, crippled the standard of living of ordinary people, in spite of this progress, we see this demonstration. why? because people don't want just bread-and-butter, they want freedom. they want human rights, civic rights, democracy, rule of law. they want to take part in the decisionmaking, whether it is the future of the party in istanbul or the future of their country. for mr. erdogan, in my view, a wake-up call. therapy can go on the way to work, more democracy, on the way

to europe, or turkey can slip into the politics situation that is developing in the middle east. therapy needs a new constitution not because of the e.u. but because of the democracy and development of turkish society and turkish economy. in this process of creating a new constitution not only the ruling party but the opposition should be included. the civil society, the journalists, the lawyers, everybody who is willing to take part and in this process, needs our help because if we let this not only for us, very important country to slipped down this slippery slope, it will be, it will have terrible consequences for us.

in order to strengthen the perspective, we should open 23, 24, because only in this way there is a chance to move forward and we can help in this process, thank you very much. >> thank you. >> translator: the event over the last few days in turkey, total blow to the country and to turkey, accession to europe, they represent progress for turkish society and it has become more pluralistic than mr. erdogan seems to want to believe. told the blend young alike, religious and nonreligious,

liberal people, people who got together and these demonstrators, we need to know how many people have been arrested, how many journalists, a human rights lawyers, and demonstrators, students are in prison, we demand they be released, for justice, the only way the country to move towards europe. mr erdogan needs to change. it is not a debate here, not a question of a man changing or not. we want the political debate, turkey needs to change, the system in turkey needs to change, they need to make it possible for civil society to be represented, for parliament of the you can't get in until we need the political culture to change in turkey, not a

dictatorship of the majority but minorities need to be respected and heard in politics so yes, we need to to have a dialogue with turkey. need to carry on but also one thing that is very true, today is not the day to talk about the chapter. another one that is fairly arrested, will see progress made, we need to see these people released and political change in turkey. >> thank you. miss keller. >> thank you did the violence against the people in turkey is simply not acceptable and. peaceful protestors have been beaten up, tear gas, injured,

have been -- some have even died. the people are directing, the police the directing people simply because they express views and use social media. all promises of dialogue have been empty promises so far. i urge the representative to step up their efforts to use tools to pressurize the turkish government, to stop their authoritarian rule and end violence. the turkish government needs to realize there is a great chance of them in the process if they embrace pluralism, if they encourage civil society and if they involve the population. going against human and citizens' rights of environmentalists, students, lawyers, workers, artists, everybody, going in completely the wrong direction. the people in turkey need our support and we have to give them a strong signal of our support and a strong signal that the

european union will not accept such violence. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> translator: this proposal is unwarranted police force against people who demonstrate is outrageous. would strengthen the understanding respect of food to protest should be a feature of authorities, guarantee of freedoms would be a fundamental requirement in order for aspirations of turkey to come true. bear in mind turkey as a leader of democratic confirmation in the region and an example to be followed by other muslim countries, and the contribution to the economic development of europe and need to look at that and talk about political organizations. under the law prime minister

erdogan, a number of roles have been implemented for stabilization of the country and also important to look at the involvement of his government as regards to the concept in syria. at the same time every country has the right to cultivate its tradition and respect for religion. we witnessed this was all so -- >> thank you. thank you. in turkey what was over jenna lee environmentalist's demonstration, political issues have become involved. as the government becomes less secular and more fundamentalist as this recent decision shows, the violent repression is not just on moral grounds, it violates the charter of fundamental rights which is an important pillar of the treaty

of lisbon and security policy. pull filament of freedom and democracy young people are taking into the streets and squares of turkey have never been suppressed and governments that do this kind of thing showed themselves to be more democratic and fundamentalist than the ones that put them in place. that represents that we need to keep channels of communication and dialogue open to turkey to prevent a dangerous isolation which may drive mr. erdogan into the arms of the fundamentalists. also think turkey is evenly important part in destabilization of turkey in a very unstable region could mean

a very serious threat to the peace and security of the middle east. thank you. >> thank you. i have to say i was appalled by the statements you put out sunday night calling for restraint on all sides. at that stage i was traveling back from istanbul where i personally witnessed massive and systematic violence for turkish police against protesters we're in a working-class suburb of istanbul i saw use of teargas being shot as bullets against protesters, the use of flash and indiscriminate use of water cannons against protesters. your statement came just over 24 hours before the retaking by the police turning it into a war zone as anyone can see from watching television in a move that was entirely anticipated by the protesters and many others. protestors are guilty only of

demanding democratic rights and freedoms. is the government responsible for cracking down on those rights, responsible for police brutality, jailing lawyers, making the statement against those policies. the government responsible for the neil liberal and anti environmental restructuring of istanbul for the repression of the kurdish people and imposition of conservative policies against kissing in public, selling out all in order to divide and rule. the people i've met in istanbul were an inspiration and so against your advice i say to them do not show restraint, do not be afraid of returning to the street, mobilizing to demand their rights. against the attempts to clamp down i support the call by socialist alternatives and other groups in turkey to mobilize mass of the next weekend, organize for one day general strike and make sure erdogan is forced to resign.

thank you. >> translator: the extremely weak reaction by the commission to events in turkey has made the e.u. complete the incredible, has lost all credibility. we are being made to look like fools by islamist government, that they believe in doing everything that is against any -- if i listened to my colleagues here, it is a violation of human rights, a reason for rewarding the turkish government by opening new chapters in negotiations. start of the negotiations we said that they could be stopped at any time if it became clear that turkey was not meeting the requirements. what more do you need to do

that? turkey has not started negotiations, negotiations must be stopped now and for good. >> thank you very much. >> thank you. commissioner, colleagues. what is going on in turkey against human rights, demonstrators is unseasonable and that is all we said. in terms of demonstrators, that there are a key huge amounts in prison. we need to reestablish rule of law and try to do this but we have seen the regime, not much has been said about that. seems to me europe is being used to get over the old obstacles

and for people to do what they want to do, make -- get rid of secular society, this is a rising of secular society, the modern turkey rising up and pushing against erdogan. something has gone wrong in our policy. in terms of the chapter we need to look at new ways dealing with turkey and norway style situations, getting nato involved. turkey is a very important country and we need to find the right way of doing things. a new chapter here with things most people in prison at the moment say we need to change, we need to get the modern turkey

that stands together with the west and human rights, we need norway style solution as a source. thank you. >> thank you huge >> translator: we need to begin with those people suffering repression and condolences to the families of the victims. in those areas where violence has occurred. the best way of showing our respect to the people who have come into the streets and squares of turkey in the last couple weeks would be to try to interpret what their message is,

what is coming out, they are a pluralist body that is intergenerational, various classes are working together and it is easy to interpret what they are trying to say. is not the arab spring. no one is in occupy wall street, nor is it the angry ones in madrid or people rioting in the uk as we saw a few years ago. it is a specific message, a turkish message being conveyed. b plus a something very simple. they want a legal system that is independent, they want the press in their countries to be free and they believe that in turkey they should recognize and foster

minorities. they believe that in turkey, polarization or confrontation from nationalist or religious reasons. it is people who are aspiring for a well rooted, much for democracy and the message is being sent to the government, the erdogan government, those in power and is being addressed to the opposition to the opposition needs to become credible. is being directed to was in europe. europe needs to act in a mature fashion. it shouldn't react in a contradictory way. we need to assist without interfering in these people to achieve their goals. >> thank you.

>> what i see through the clouds of tear-gas is a democratic -- clumsy, complex, messy, but also moving. in style it reminds me of chicago and paris in the 1960 -- 1968. like the follow-through from such spontaneous revolts, in the end, turkish democracy is to emerge stronger with political parties that will be less

sycophantic of their leadership, with a turkish parliament which is more pluralistic and ideologies, both secular and religious which are less preoccupied. i believe turkey has a great capacity to become the world's first liberal modern muslim european country and i rejoice at the events. thank you.

>> a few. >> thank you, my colleagues. the revolt in turkey is an expression of fear, fear of turkey will become a state in which authoritarian approach takes precedence over and democracy and free joyce's. democracy consists of freedom of opinion and freedom of assembly. turkey really must apply those freedoms and the representative is repeated. and democratic practices and principles must apply them, as the generalist said, this is part of the indian system of a healthy society. this is a different road. in the race to beat russia, if

it is a master behind which, especially in the negotiation talks and the resolution. >> thank you, representative. and their right to live in democracy in a secupra%of fiox,

concerning how to live in peace, democracy and freedom. >> thank you. thank you. a turkish minister of european affairs called the head of his government a gift from god from the turkish nation, politically valuation matches complete lack of a sense of reality of the highly praised mr. erdogan has shown in these turbulent days.

his actions in public characterized by deliberate polarization of society. sadly mr. erdogan keeps heating up the public atmosphere and speaking and cruises about behavior of demonstrators in istanbul. for example what has been refuted about the secretion of a mosque what is worse is comparison he made in a long speech about the mainly peaceful demonstrators and those who carried out an attack last month in the southeast of turkey and he's doing that against a backdrop against violence by his critics. council and commission must absolutely not let go this complete lack of political self criticism and sense of responsibility. can you make that point please? at the end of last week mr. erdogan didn't even bother to

listen to what the commissioner had to say, the interpreter, and that is someone who is head of government of a country that wants to join the e.u.. the economic power created by a decade of dominance should get close attention from europe. the turkish government is opening the taps for the floor of money, $40 billion in euros every year and the public and private media are taught to be silent about serious cases of corruption and controversial editor of cnn turkey stopped the demonstrators, don't realize we don't make the decisions. it is our bosses, and every pie in the economy. and we cannot stand in the way of those. turkey of course has been a

critical media in 2006, there were 2 for 70 cases of manipulation with public procurement put to light but the point is the main guilty party is not only free but is part of erdogan's private staff and comes to brussels with him. it is this massive nationwide protest of the past few weeks that should drive its own house in order not by expelling members that are already done. that is what we say and applies for turkish society. that is this spirit in which i will be looking forward to delegation's talks in turkey. >> thank you. >> translator: the communist party condemns this savage violence of the turkish

government against the demonstrators with the working class and people of turkey struggling for freedom. on the seventh and eighth of june i was there and the state violence, the toll is terrible. the turkish government have attacked ordinary people and political parties struggle against the anti -- they even attacked the communist party and cultural center. they are now trying to expel members of the party. the turkish government policy against the people of syria, intervention and linked in with the intervention of nato and the e.u. and the u.s.a. as well as we got the twenty-seventh of may decision for the reading of the embargo on supplying weapons to

the syrian opposition. we see the possibility of increased imperialists war in the wider area. we need to stop the freeze of violence and repression of the demonstrators. we need to release anyone who has been arrested and people who are responsible for the violence need to be brought to justice. ..