91998E2415

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2415/98

by Katerina Daskalaki (UPE) to the Commission

(27 July 1998)

Subject: Leaking of a document concerning Turkey

On 9 July a "report" by the Commission representative in Ankara was leaked to the press. The contents of this report - which have not been denied - raise many questions about the policy the Commission should be pursuing and its objectivity in this instance. In this report Michael Lake who has already been transferred to Budapest underestimates and justifies Turkish aggressiveness towards a Member State, Greece, turns a blind eye to human rights violations in Turkey, seeks to persuade the Commission of the marginalization of Cyprus, inveighs against the European Parliament and boasts that he co-authored a speech given by the Turkish President Demirel.

Will the Commission give its views about the above (beyond the fact that the document has been leaked) and say how it intends to rein in the exaggerated and partisan zeal of its official?

Answer given by Mr van den Broek on behalf of the Commission

(11 September 1998)

It is not unusual for departing heads of delegation to express their personal views in an informal report upon departure from a posting.

Mr Lake's report falls into this category and its contents do, therefore, not necessarily have to conform in all aspects with the positions of the Community.

These positions on the issues addressed in the report are well-known and there is no need to make further comment.

The responsible member of the Commission called recently the Greek Foreign minister Pangalos in order to ensure that there was no misunderstanding about the nature of the report.