BRUSSELS - The European Union (EU) Commission's annual progress reports for candidate countries will be announced officially on Wednesday.
EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen will make a speech at European Parliament in Brussels following the announcement of reports and he will inform parliamentarians about the developments and deficiencies in candidate countries.
-POLITICAL REFORMS-
EU Commission evaluates the reforms which have been fulfilled in Turkey in the last one year as the signs of very important political developments in Turkey Progress Report and it notes that these reforms which were approved by the majority of Turkish Parliament gained wide support of Turkish people and made Turkey closer to European value and standards.
Touching on the importance of practicing the reforms, the report stresses the significance of Ankara's forming ''Reform Follow-up Committee'' and announcing ''zero tolerance'' policy against torture. The report recalls the lifting of state of emergency in Southeast Anatolia region.
The report notes that positive developments in Turkish-Greek relations were continuing and it says that Turkish government expressed its support on finding solution to Cyprus issue within the United Nations and that it was announced that the framework agreement on customs union between Turkey and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) will not be approved.
The report expresses the expectation of a solution for Cyprus issue within the basis of Annan Plan.
EU Commission, in its reports, claims that the effects of reforms remain limited and the practice is slow and unsystematic. It notes that regulations on radio-television broadcast except Turkish language and on rights of religious communities for owning property and circulars that arrange families' giving name to their children put restrictions on practice.
The report criticizes the presence of military representatives in Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTUK) and Board of Higher Education (YOK), the restrictions in supervision of defense budget, inconsistency in usage of Turkish Penal Code provisions in freedom of expression, the delay in formation of institutional structure in fight with corruption, shortcomings seen in signing of U.N. and Council of Europe (COE) agreements regarding civil and political rights and minority rights, delay in implementation of European Court of Human Rights provisions, deficiencies seen in harmonization with provisions regarding fair trial and defense right, lack of harmony with the European Convention on Human Rights and EU acquis in the field of fight with discrimination, shortcomings seen in investigation, trial, and application of punishments in field of torture, violations in rights of arrested persons, deficiencies in prison conditions, difficulties seen in performance of judges and differences of comments in implementation of laws regarding expression of thought which doesn't support violence.
Heavy punishments to authors, and journalists, ban on some broadcasts, limitations on internet, limitations to radio and television channels apart from Turkish, practices of Supreme Radio and Television Board (RTUK), restrictions on freedom of founding associations based on race, religion, region and minority status, security forces' extreme use of force to demonstrators, continuation of practices in party closures, ongoing difficulties of non-Muslim minorities in getting property and training of clergymen, not recognizing Alaouites in religious affairs and national education system, deficiencies in women-men equality, deficiencies in training and security rights of children, problems stemming from lack of harmony of unionist rights to European Social charter, discriminative and restrictive practices against minorities, and problems in return of citizens to their houses following Emergency Rule implementation are among the issues criticized in the report.
-ECONOMY-
The report evaluates recent situation of Turkish economy in Copenhagen economic criteria. The report includes several views on functioning of free market economy, structural reforms, inflation, financial control, state enterprises, developments in finance sector and deficiencies in this respect.
The report said Turkey recorded progress on the way to be a fully functional market economy by strengthening its institutional structure, but that development level could not yet be reached in macro-economic stability.
The commission said reforms, which had to be made in economic program process, seemed to lose speed, stressing that the work force increased rapidly when compared with employment. The commission claimed that rate of unemployment could continue to increase because of this.
The report stressed that the lowest rate of the recent years could be caught in inflation, noting that price increases that were made in public sector to reach financial targets negatively affected decrease process of inflation.
The report said real interest rates continued to be around 20 percent because of uncertain approach of the new government and weakness of local capital markets, and noted that high interest rates prevented productive investments. The report said debt rate continued to be the most important obstacle in front of state sector and economy.
The commission said prices became more appropriate to the market conditions after removal of legal obstacles in front of decrease of personnel in state institutions.
The report refers to the studies taken in increasing financial transparency, and it says that the Financial Administration and Financial Inspection Law which was prepared to make the division of labour among public administrations is an important step.
-ENERGY-AGRICULTURE-
The report focuses on the new regulations made in the field of transmission and production in electricity sector, noting that the imbalance in prices started to lessen due to ending of the public financial support, the price supporting system applied in agricultural sector was changed into direct income support and the electricity prices were determined by an independent institution.
The Commission noted that the income gained from initiatives to speed up privatization was very limited, adding that new initiatives were started to privatize institutions such as State Monopolies (TEKEL) and Turkish Telecom.
The report stated that small and medium scale enterprises (SMSEs) faced important difficulties in getting financial support from banks and they faced red tape in founding businesses, adding that the companies' registration methods were eased and new facilities were brought for foreign investors.
Pointing out to the serious deficiencies seen in implementation of existing laws regarding intellectual property rights, the report said that employment policies became closer to international standards, the reconstruction and merger in banking sector continued, infrastructure investments decreased due to lack of source, the repair of electricity networks was not sufficient, the system used in railway transportation was out of date and that it had to be renewed in a comprehensive way.
The report notes that the Turkish economy continued to move on the way of becoming a service-producing one in long term rather than being an economy dependent on agriculture.
(GC-AY-ÖŞ-AÖ) 04.11.2003