Brussels, February 12: In a surprise move the European Parliament (EP) has once again revealed its intention to mention the headscarf problem in Turkey in a report by Dutch Christian Democrat Ria Oomen-Ruijten.
Despite the opposition of Oomen-Ruijten and the Christian Democrats, the largest group in the EP, the amendment by Dutch Socialist MEP Emine Bozkurt, who is of Turkish origin, was approved by a call roll vote of 37 to 31. Oomen-Ruijten — who has called on Turkish authorities to respect and improve the religious freedom of minorities in Turkey in each and every report she has written on Turkey — said she was not happy that Bozkurt’s amendment was approved but added that she was not against the headscarf as long as it was chosen by women of their own free will. With another agreed amendment the EP stated its concern regarding the Turkish state’s unwillingness to find the real perpetrators of Hrant Dink’s murder.
The Committee on Foreign Affairs voted yesterday amid a very intense exchange of words between the Christian Democrats and the Socialists, the two biggest groups in the EP.
Oomen-Ruijten’s report was approved by 51 votes in favor and 5 against. The final vote in the plenary session is expected to take place on March 8.
If accepted in the vote in the plenary on March 8, Bozkurt’s amendment regarding the headscarf would be the second of its kind in an EU document. Former Green MEPs Joost Lagendijk and Cem Ozdemir had managed to insert an amendment on the headscarf back in 2006 in the EP report prepared by the then-rapporteur Camiel Eurlings, another Dutch Christian Democrat. The European Commission, which prepares its own progress report each autumn, has so far refused to refer to the headscarf, while it goes on at length about the religious freedoms of minorities.
In her amendment Bozkurt said she “urges the main political parties to reach a solution on the headscarf ban in universities to counter the polarizing effects of the matter on Turkish society; this solution should be based on respect for the free choice of women.” Speaking to Today’s Zaman, Bozkurt said she was happy that the amendment was approved and hoped the other political parties, with the exception of the Christian Democrats, would keep up their support in the final vote on March 8.
Despite Bozkurt’s happiness, Oomen-Ruijten said she was not happy with the reference to the headscarf as it was not a matter for the European Union to deal with. Asked whether she would support the amendment in the final vote, Oomen-Ruijten said she needed to negotiate both with the Socialists and her own group. However, she underlined that she was not against the headscarf if it was worn by women of their own free will. Another MEP of Turkish origin, German Socialist Ýsmail Ertuð, criticized the report and said it fell short of motivating Turkey in the reform process. Stressing that he was happy to see the reference to the headscarf in the report, he said the Christian Democrats’ position on the issue could not possibly be explained by good will.
In a written statement by the Socialists in the wake of the vote, the need for a new constitution was strongly underlined: “A new constitution resulting from broad consensus in the Turkish society is a pre-condition in order to be in line with European standards.”
Christian Democrats, as well, in their statement made it clear that Turkey was on the right track in terms of judicial reforms. “MEP Oomen-Ruijten appreciates the number of positive developments related to the political criteria, in particular the judicial reform as well as the adopted constitutional amendments which provide the basis for the establishment of an ombudsman, improvements in trade union rights and an increased civilian oversight of the military,” said the statement.
The voting in the EP on the Turkey report also witnessed a bitter fight between the Christian Democrats and the Socialists. Both sides accused the other party of not honoring the commitments made during bargaining negotiations the other day. When Oomen-Ruijten stated that the Socialists had learned their lesson, Raimon Obiols, a veteran Socialist, responded strongly and said Oomen-Ruijten was not in a position to teach them lessons.
–Agencies–