EU will watch acts against press freedom, says chief
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 27, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - The head of the European Commission warned the Turkish government yesterday that any decision that could hinder press freedom would be taken into consideration in the country’s EU membership bid.
"The respect for the freedom of the press is a fundamental value for the EU," European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said at a live joint news conference with Turkish President Abdullah Gül in Brussels. Barroso was referring to a half-billion-dollar levy imposed by the Treasury against the Doğan Media Group, parent company of Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review, as the Turkish government carries its battle with the media to a new level.
"We see there is a tax problem which is dealt with in court. We respect the independence of the judiciary," Barroso said. "We’ll take into account any decision that can hinder the freedom of the press." The European Commission president also reiterated the institution's full support for Turkey’s membership application and urged Ankara to speed up the pace of reform in the areas of religious freedom, freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
Barroso said the commission has observed strong willingness from the Turkish side toward the EU process and characterized the discussions with the Turkish delegation as "comprehensive, open and special." He also praised Gül’s landmark visit to Armenia to watch a football match in September.
Gül, the first Turkish president to visit the European Commission, said both the ruling and opposition parties in Turkey are committed to the EU process, as indicated by successive visits to Brussels by the prime minister and the main opposition party leader. "This is a strategic process for us," Gül added. "This visit will help the EU negotiations gain momentum."
Asked by a reporter if Turkey would veto Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen as the next secretary general of NATO, Gül said no decision has been made and that Turkey was still evaluating the situation. Rasmussen is seen as the frontrunner to replace Jaap de Hoop Scheffer when his term concludes at the end of July.
"We see there is a tax problem which is dealt with in court. We respect the independence of the judiciary," Barroso said. "We’ll take into account any decision that can hinder the freedom of the press." The European Commission president also reiterated the institution's full support for Turkey’s membership application and urged Ankara to speed up the pace of reform in the areas of religious freedom, freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
Barroso said the commission has observed strong willingness from the Turkish side toward the EU process and characterized the discussions with the Turkish delegation as "comprehensive, open and special." He also praised Gül’s landmark visit to Armenia to watch a football match in September.
Gül, the first Turkish president to visit the European Commission, said both the ruling and opposition parties in Turkey are committed to the EU process, as indicated by successive visits to Brussels by the prime minister and the main opposition party leader. "This is a strategic process for us," Gül added. "This visit will help the EU negotiations gain momentum."
Asked by a reporter if Turkey would veto Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen as the next secretary general of NATO, Gül said no decision has been made and that Turkey was still evaluating the situation. Rasmussen is seen as the frontrunner to replace Jaap de Hoop Scheffer when his term concludes at the end of July.