PARIS - The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (COEPA) Monitoring Committee has decided to close the monitoring procedure over Turkey.
At its meeting in Paris on Wednesday, the Monitoring Committee debated and voted reports prepared by Turkey rapporteurs and relevant draft recommendatory decisions.
The report approved at the meeting, will be debated and voted once again at the COEPA`s general assembly meeting in April.
The monitoring procedure over Turkey was opened in 1996.
During the procedure, the committee monitors newly member countries to the Council of Europe (COE) whether they honored of their obligations to the COE.
In its report, the COEPA noted that Turkey had made significant reforms both in human rights and democracy in the last three years, and decided to close the monitoring procedure.
Defending that Turkey`s reform activities should be supported, the report said that the COE could assist Turkey in new legal changes by charging experts.
Criticizing the Constitution of 1982, the report called on Turkey to make important reforms in its Constitution with the Venice Commission.
The European Commission for Democracy through Law of the COE, better known as the Venice Commission, was established just after the fall of the Berlin Wall, in 1990, and has played a leading role in the adoption, in eastern Europe, of constitutions that conform to the standards of Europe`s constitutional heritage. The Commission keeps a close watch on the changes that constantly affect society and are reflected in its fundamental, that is its constitutional, rules.
The report also criticized the election system in Turkey and asked to decrease the election threshold of 10 percent.
The report recommended to open ``post monitoring`` procedure about Turkey. In this procedure, there is no need for preparing of reports and holding debates at the general assembly.
Closing of monitoring procedure is of importance in regard to opening of accession talks between Turkey and the EU.
Diplomatic sources said that Turkey could not get a date technically for opening of accession talks while the monitoring procedure was continuing.
ANKARA WELCOMES COEPA`S DECISION
Ankara welcomed the decision of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (COEPA) Monitoring Committee to close the monitoring procedure over Turkey.
Diplomatic sources told A.A correspondent that Turkey had expected the COEPA Monitoring Committee to take such a decision and this was expressed on various platforms.
Sources said that they wished same decision to be taken in the voting which would be held at General Assembly in April.
(AA) 03.03.2004