Withdrawing European support for Turkey to join the EU

The N-VA is alarmed by the situation in North-Kurdistan (Turkey). Once again, multiple political leaders, elected representatives and members of HDP, the biggest pro-Kurdish opposition party, have been arrested. The reason for their arrest according to Turkish authorities is “provision of support to a resistance movement”. The HDP itself disputes this and emphasises that there is no legal basis for the arrests, which it says are solely motivated by politics. “These new events demonstrate once more that tough European measures really must be put forward immediately,” N-VA Vice-Chairman and European Parliament member Sander Loones comments.

“Erdogan lost his absolute majority in June due to the success of the pro-Kurdish HDP. As a true junta leader, he is now taking revenge on his opponent both militarily and politically,” European delegation chairman Mark Demesmaeker states frankly. In the meantime not only our party is watching the events in Turkey with a wary eye, the foreign affairs coordinator of the EU is also “extremely concerned” and is calling EU ambassadors together in Ankara to discuss the situation.

Not words, but deeds

“It’s not enough to just put out bold statements, but it should also be abundantly clear to Turkey that we are serious. And we do that, if needed, by hitting them in the wallet,” Sander Loones thinks. It is for that reason that the N-VA recently approved of an amendment to the EU budget that would freeze European accession resources for Turkey as a candidate-member state. “Unfortunately, that amendment did not receive enough support, not from Open Vld, CD&V, sp.a or Groen either,” Sander Loones laments. “Therefore I call on those parties to reconsider their stance, so that together we can take action against European funding of Erdogan.”

“Our party supports peaceful pursuit of Kurdish emancipation,” Mark Demesmaeker concludes. “We will continue to advocate a democratic and peaceful solution for the Kurdish issue at the European level.”