The European Parliament passed its annual report on Turkey with 448 votes in favor, 67 against and 107 abstentions. The document also touched upon Turkey's relations with Armenia and the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
The report refers to the European Parliament’s report of 15 April 2015 on the centenary of the Armenian Genocide and again calls on Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
The European Parliament is concerned that Turkey's foreign policy in recent years contradicts the European Union's common foreign and security policy priorities, including in the Caucasus.
“Commends the recent rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia with regard to the decision to start bilateral contacts, the appointment of special representatives and the resumption of flights between the two countries; considers this attempt a highly positive development which has a positive impact on prosperity and security in the region; encourages both sides to pursue these efforts with a view to fully normalising their relations and calls for the EU to actively support this process; encourages Turkey to pave the way for genuine reconciliation between the Turkish and Armenian peoples, including settling the dispute of the Armenian Genocide, and to fully respect its obligations to protect Armenian and other cultural heritage; expresses the hope that this may lead to a dynamic of normalisation of relations in the South Caucasus; further welcomes Turkey’s diplomatic efforts to normalise relations with various countries in the Middle East, especially Israel; encourages Turkey, once again, to recognise the Armenian Genocide,” the report reads.
"Strongly condemns the forced extradition, kidnapping and abduction of Turkish citizens residing outside Turkey, a violation of the principle of the rule of law and basic human rights; urges the EU to address this worrying practice in its own Member States as well as in the candidate and associated countries; is concerned by the attempts by the Turkish Government to influence members of the Turkish diaspora in the EU, such as through the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) and the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DITIB), which could interfere with democratic processes in some Member States; remains worried that the racist right-wing extremist movement Ülkü Ocakları, also known as the Grey Wolves, which is closely linked to the ruling coalition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), is spreading not only in Turkey but also in EU Member States."
