RATIFICATO PROTOCOLLO; COMMISSIONE EUROPEA, E' UNA BELLA NOTIZIA

STRASBURGO, 9 GEN - La Turchia ha firmato oggi il protocollo della convenzione europea sui diritti dell'uomo che include l'abolizione della pena di morte anche in tempi di guerra.

La notizia e' stata data dal Consiglio d'Europa dove e' avvenuta la firma che e' stata posta dall'ambasciatore turco Numan Hazar. Un anno fa Ankara aveva sottoscritto il protocollo concernente l'abolizione della pena di morte in tempi di pace.

E' dal 1984 che Ankara applica comunque una moratoria sulla pena capitale.

''La Commissione europea si felicita fortemente con questa iniziativa che rappresenta una buona notizia per i diritti dell'uomo in Turchia'', ha detto, a Bruxelles, un portavoce del commissario all'allargamento Gunther Verheugen, secondo il quale l'iniziativa ''costituisce un passo supplementare e significativo per la Turchia nella strada verso una democrazia consolidata, che rispetti totalmente i criteri europei in materia di diritti umani''.

La Turchia e' candidata ad entrare nell'Unione europea e l'abolizione totale della pena di morte rientra tra le condizioni poste da Bruxelles per poter dare inizio ad un eventuale processo di adesione. Una decisione definitiva in tale senso dovra' essere presa a fine anno. Il presidente della Commissione Romano Prodi, insieme a Verheugen, si rechera' ad Ankara la prossima settimana e sara' la prima visita di un capo dell'eurogoverno nel paese.

Il protocollo firmato oggi a Strasburgo, che porta il numero 13, stabilisce l'abolizione della pena di morte ''in tutte le circostanze'', incluso per ''atti commessi in tempo di guerra o in pericolo imminente di guerra''.

In vigore dal primo luglio scorso tra i 45 membri del Consiglio d'Europa il protocollo non e' stato ancora ratificato da Russia, Armenia e Azerbaigian.

EUROPEAN UNION/TURKEY: Brussels welcomes extension of Turkish ban on death penalty

The European Commission welcomed Friday Turkey's extension of a ban on the death penalty to include times of war, which removed another obstacle to the country's long-running bid to join the EU.

The Turkish ambassador to the Council of Europe, the pan-European rights watchdog, signed Friday protocol 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which obliges countries to abolish the death penalty in all circumstances, including times of conflict.

A spokesman for the EU's executive arm, Jean-Christophe Filori, said "the Commission very warmly welcomes this initiative which is very good news for human rights in Turkey".

The move "represents a further significant step for Turkey on its way to becoming a fully fledged democracy, fully respecting European standards for human rights", he told reporters.

Turkey had already signed a protocol abolishing capital punishment in peacetime following a vote in its parliament in August 2002. A moratorium on the death penalty had already been in place in Turkey since 1984.

The signing of the latest protocol is part of a wider programme of human rights reforms in Turkey which the European Union considers vital if negotiations over Ankara's entry to the EU are to get underway.

The EU is to decide in December 2004 if Turkey, a secular but mainly Muslim country, has made enough progress in democratic reforms to open membership talks.

European Commission head Romano Prodi is to visit Turkey next week, the 1st such visit since Turkey signed an association agreement with the EU's predecessor, the European Economic Community, in 1963.

Turkey agrees death penalty ban

Turkey has agreed to a total ban on capital punishment.

Its envoy to the Council of Europe signed a European Convention protocol abolishing the death penalty in all circumstances, including during wars.

The Turkish parliament had already voted to abolish the death penalty in peacetime in August 2002.

The European Commission said Ankara's latest move was a "significant step on its way to becoming a fully fledged democracy".

Analysts say the signing of the protocol is part of an extensive programme of human rights reforms being demanded by the European Union before it will consider granting membership to Turkey.

The protocol must be ratified by the Turkish parliament.

The EU is expected to decide at the end of the year whether to open entry negotiations with Ankara.

'Warm welcome'

Turkey's permanent representative to Council of Europe, Numar Hazar, signed Protocol 13 at a ceremony in Strasbourg, the Turkish news agency Anatolia reported.

Protocol 13 prohibits the death penalty in all circumstances, including in times or war and at times of danger of war.

European Commission spokesman Jean-Christophe Filori said "the Commission very warmly welcomes this initiative which very good news for human rights in Turkey".

Mr Filori said the move "represents a further significant step for Turkey on its way to becoming a fully fledged democracy fully respecting European standards in terms of human rights".

A moratorium on the death penalty had already been in place in Turkey since 1984.

The death penalty was replaced by life imprisonment without parole. The change saved the life of jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan.

He was originally sentenced to death in June 1999 for his role in a 16-year guerrilla war against the Turkish authorities in which more than 30,000 people were killed.

EU unease

The EU has praised Turkey's determination in passing key democratic reforms, but said implementation had been slow and uneven.

Some politicians in Brussels say Turkey's military still have too much say in running the country.

They also say the culture of government is very different to that of other applicant states, with a lack of accountability.

And in private, some EU officials are somewhat uneasy about letting a predominantly Muslim country join the club.