In the motion for a resolution to wind up the debate on statements by the Council and the Commission on the 2011 Progress Report on Turkey, Ria Oomen-Ruijten on behalf of the Committee on Foreign Affairs has called on Turkey to "to demonstrate resilience and intensify its efforts for a political solution to the Kurdish issue and asks all political forces to work in alliance towards the goal of reinforced political dialogue and a process of further political, cultural and socio-economic inclusion and participation of citizens of Kurdish origin, in order to guarantee the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly".

The commission "considers, in this context, the right to education in the native language as essential; calls on the Government of Turkey to step up its efforts to further promote socio-economic development in the South East; takes the view that the Constitutional reform provides a very useful framework to promote a democratic opening".

The commission "recalls that a political solution can only be built upon an open and truly democratic debate on the Kurdish issue and expresses concern at the large number of cases launched against writers and journalists writing on the Kurdish issue and the arrest of several Kurdish politicians, locally elected mayors and members of municipal councils, lawyers, protestors and human rights defenders in connection with the KCK trial and other police operations; calls on the Government of Turkey to create the peaceful ground for political figures of Kurdish origin to have a free and pluralistic debate".

Finally the commission "underlines the importance of promoting the discussion of the Kurdish issue inside the democratic institutions, particularly the TGNA".

The Motion will be discussed in the European Parliament at the end of the month.