ANKARA
The leader of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Gianni Pittella, said that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant poses a great threat to humanity and that Kobani represents a symbol of victory for the alliance against the terrorist group.
Pittella, who is the leader of the second largest group in the European Parliament, evaluated his two-day visit to Turkey in Ankara on Thursday.
He held meetings with Turkey's EU Minister Volkan Bozkir, Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party as well as the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party.
Pittella said three main topics were highlighted during his visit: the ongoing ISIL threat in Kobani, Turkey's long-time EU membership bid and the Cyprus issue, which has recently raised the tension between Turkish and Greek Cypriots.
A member of the Italian Democratic Party, Pittella said Bozkir reemphasized Turkey's support for the western alliance in their fight against ISIL.
"We expect more from Turkey," he said. "Although Turkey has been great in hosting refugees from Syria, we want Turkey to help the armed groups in Kobani fighting against ISIL."
"If we win this war in Kobani, it will give a symbolic response to them," Pittella explained. "But we should also ask this question to ourselves: how could ISIL get into its supporters' hearts?"
Asked about what kind of support is expected from Turkey, Pittella did not mention any particular strategy but said Turkey should join and follow the decisions of the U.S.-led coalition against the ISIL terrorist group.
Pittella also said ISIL does not represent Islam, but rather a degenerated version of the religion.
The U.S. is leading an international coalition, which includes France, Germany, and Saudi Arabia, among others, and has carried out numerous airstrikes against ISIL in Iraq and Syria.
Turkey has recently allowed the passage of Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga forces through Turkey to reach the battle-torn town.
The first batch of Kobani-bound peshmerga troops landed on a private plane at Turkey's GAP Airport from Erbil International Airport early on Wednesday.
They were then stationed in the Suruc district of Turkey's border province of Sanliurfa.
A separate truck convoy carrying their heavy weaponry also entered Turkey on Wednesday via the Habur border crossing in the southeastern province of Sirnak.
Turkey's EU accession journey
Pittella mentioned that the European Parliament urges Turkey to act according to the plan that was offered by the European Union.
"We want Chapters 23 and 24 on the judiciary and fundamental rights and justice, freedom and security to be opened," Pitella said.
Turkey, an EU candidate country, is concerned about the TTIP, as it has no say on the ongoing negotiations but has to abide by the terms and conditions of the agreement, as it has a Customs Union with the EU.
The EU and Turkey established the Customs Union in 1995, as it was seen as a keystone to a prospective EU membership.
However, Turkey’s EU accession negotiations entered into a stalemate in 2007 due to the Cyprus problem and the opposition of German and French governments to its full membership.
Cyprus issue
The European Parliament representative also talked about the Cyprus issue and said that they call on the parties to use the energy sources for the benefit of all peoples living in the island.
Tension increased again between Turkish and Greek Cypriots after a Bahama-registered ship, SAIPEM 10000, began hydrocarbon exploration in parcel 9, an area which Greek Cypriots unilaterally declared "an exclusive economic zone."
The dispute goes back to 1960, when a Treaty of Guarantee was signed between the Turkish and Greek Cypriots, along with the British government, over the island.
The treaty banned the island of Cyprus from participating in any political or economic union with any other state, as well as making other parties guarantee its independence, territorial integrity and security.
However, in 1963, only three years after the treaty was signed, the Turkish Cypriots were ousted by force from all organs of the new Republic by their Greek Cypriot partners, which violated the founding agreements and the Constitution.
The Greek Cypriots, thereafter, claimed to represent the Republic of Cyprus, which was considered illegal and not recognized by Turkey.
Between 1964 and 1974, the international community made several peace-making efforts that all ended in failure.
In 1974, an attempt by Greece to annex the island through a coup was made, which was resisted by a Turkish peace mission in accordance with the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee.
Consequently, the Turkish Cypriots set up their own Republic in 1983, while continuing the search for reconciliation.
While the European Union recognizes the Greek-Cypriot administration in the island, Turkey recognizes the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus diplomatically.
The negotiations between the Turkish and Greek Cypriots resumed after a two-year pause in February 2013. The previous round of talks had collapsed because of the Eurozone debt crisis and the Greek Cypriot side's turn to occupy the EU presidency in 2012.
However, the Greek-Cypriot administration suspended the talks over the divided island on October 7 after Turkey sent a ship to monitor an oil-and-gas exploration mission off the coast of Cyprus.
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