Reps. Maloney and Pallone Lead Effort Urging EU to Press Turkey on Meeting its Accession Criteria

Reps. Maloney and Pallone Lead Effort Urging EU to Press Turkey on Meeting its Accession Criteria

Washington, D.C. – Today, Representatives Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ) were joined by twenty-one of their colleagues in sending a letter to His Excellency José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, expressing their support for ensuring that Turkey meets all criteria set forth within its negotiation framework. Of particular concern is Turkey’s lack of progress in the diplomatic recognition of Armenia, the removal of its blockade against Armenia, and ending its official policy of denial of the Armenian Genocide by coming to terms with its genocidal legacy. A copy of the letter can be found at http://maloney.house.gov/documents/foreign/armenian/20060616_EU_Armenia.pdf

“It’s time for Turkey to get serious about meeting its European Union accession criteria,” Maloney said. “I hope that the EU will make very clear to Turkey during these talks that it must remove its blockade against Armenia and end its official policy of denial of the Armenian Genocide.”

See also:

Reps. Maloney, Bilirakis Introduce Resolution Urging Turkey to Respect Rights and Religious Freedoms of the Ecumenical Patriarch

Signers of the letter include Representatives Maloney, Pallone, Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), John Conyers (D-MI), Jim Costa (D-CA), Jim Gerlach (R-PA), Charles Gonzalez (D-TX), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), Sue Kelly (R-NY), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Edward Markey (D-MA), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Michael McNulty (D-NY), Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Steven Rothman (D-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Joe Schwarz (R-MI), John Sweeney (R-NY), Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), and Diane Watson (D-CA).

(Posting date 21 September 2006; Press release 16 June 2006)

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