Today, the European Parliament adopted a Resolution on Turkey\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Progress Report 2008 with a broad majority (528+, 52- and 43 abstentions). MEPs are very concerned to see that for the third consecutive year, there is a slowdown of the reform process in Turkey. They stated clearly that the non-fulfilment of Turkey\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s commitments regarding the Ankara Agreement and its protocol may affect negotiations.

Rapporteur Ria Oomen-Ruijten MEP said: \"We need a clear signal from Turkey by the end of 2009. Turkey must fulfil its obligations regarding the Ankara Agreement.\"

MEPs are concerned by the ongoing polarisation within Turkish society and between the main political parties which deepened in the course of 2008 and has negatively affected the functioning of the political institutions and the process of reforms.

Oomen-Ruijten said : \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"With my Report, I want to be critical but fair. The Report should be a mirror for Turkey. Despite progress with regard to the development of a judicial reform strategy, further systematic reforms are needed. The Copenhagen Criteria are at the heart of the negotiations. There is, for example, no full freedom of press and expression due to the frequent website bans and pressure on critical media. It is not about opening new chapters but about real reforms to make Turkey a modern, democratic and prosperous society.

There is still no comprehensive anti-corruption strategy; freedom of expression and freedom of the press are still not fully protected. The new law on foundations tackled a number of property-related issues concerning non-Muslim communities. It is now time to develop a legal framework to enable all religious communities to function normally. The annulment of the law on the Ombudsman by the Constitutional Court is unfortunate and I hope a new law will be introduced very soon.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"

Oomen-Ruijten concluded: \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Despite the good news that there is finally a National Programme for the Adoption of the Acquis and that TV programmes in the Kurdish language are being broadcast, the improvemement of a good relationship with Turkey\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s neighbours would rapidly fulfil the Copenhagen criteria - the core of European identity - which are still at stake.