The fourth judicial reform package strengthens the protection of fundamental rights, including freedom of expression and the fight against impunity for cases of torture and ill-treatment.

9. Stresses that the reform of the Turkish judiciary system is central to the efforts to bring about democratic consolidation in Turkey and an indispensable prerequisite for Turkey’s modernisation, and that such reform must lead to a modern, efficient, fully independent and impartial judicial system guaranteeing due process of law for all citizens; welcomes the third judicial reform package as a step towards a comprehensive reform process in the area of the judiciary and fundamental rights; stresses, however, the crucial importance of continuing the reform process by (a) addressing the excessively broad definition of criminal offences ...[+++]and, in particular, what constitutes an act of terrorism under the Penal Code or the Anti-Terror Law, with the urgent need to introduce a clear distinction between, on the one hand, the promotion of terrorism and the incitement to violence and, on the other hand, the expression of non-violent ideas, in full compliance with ECtHR case law, in order to safeguard freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, including student protests, and freedom of association; (b) addressing the issue of excessively long pre-trial detention periods; (c) addressing the need to allow full access to the prosecution file for defence lawyers; (d) setting criteria to promote the quality and consistency of evidence; and (e) reviewing the role and scope of special courts; welcomes, in this regard, the adoption of the fourth reform package by the TGNA and looks forward to its speedy implementation;

9. Stresses that the reform of the Turkish judiciary system is central to the efforts to bring about democratic consolidation in Turkey and an indispensable prerequisite for Turkey’s modernisation, and that such reform must lead to a modern, efficient, fully independent and impartial judicial system guaranteeing due process of law for all citizens; welcomes the third judicial reform package as a step towards a comprehensive reform process in the area of the judiciary and fundamental rights; stresses, however, the crucial importance of continuing the reform process with a fourth judicial reform package (a) addressing the excessively bro ...[+++]ad definition of criminal offences and, in particular, what constitutes an act of terrorism under the Penal Code or the Anti-Terror Law, with the urgent need to introduce a clear distinction between, on the one hand, the promotion of terrorism and the incitement to violence and, on the other hand, the expression of non-violent ideas, in full compliance with ECtHR case law, in order to safeguard freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, including student protests, and freedom of association; (b) addressing the issue of excessively long pre-trial detention periods; (c) addressing the need to allow full access to the prosecution file for defence lawyers; (d) setting criteria to promote the quality and consistency of evidence; and (e) reviewing the role and scope of special courts;

14. Draws attention to the political connection between the proposed new distribution of seats in accordance with the principle of degressive proportionality and the overall reform package for the institutions of the Union, particularly the 'double majority' principle for the definition of a majority in the Council (Article [9c](4) of the Treaty on European Union as incorporated in the draft amending treaty) and the composition of the Commission (Article [9d](5) of the aforementioned treaty), and stresses the need for that package to be coherent while at the same time recognising the specific legal nature of each institution; agrees tha ...[+++]t, while the reform of majority voting in the Council and of the composition of the Commission should not enter into force until 2014, the new distribution of seats in the European Parliament should take effect in 2009; reserves the right, however, to assess its consent to the European Council decision pursuant to the aforementioned Article [9a] of the Treaty on European Union on the new distribution of seats in the European Parliament in the light of the reforms of the EU institutions as laid down in the amending treaty;

14. Draws attention to the political connection between the proposed new distribution of seats in accordance with the principle of degressive proportionality and the overall reform package for the institutions of the Union, particularly the 'double majority' principle for the definition of a majority in the Council (Article [9c](4) of the Treaty on European Union as incorporated in the draft amending treaty) and the composition of the Commission (Article [9d](5) of the aforementioned treaty), and stresses the need for that package to be coherent while at the same time recognising the specific legal nature of each institution; agrees tha ...[+++]t, while the reform of majority voting in the Council and of the composition of the Commission should not enter into force until 2014, the new distribution of seats in the European Parliament should take effect in 2009; reserves the right, however, to assess its consent to the European Council decision pursuant to the aforementioned Article [9a] of the Treaty on European Union on the new distribution of seats in the European Parliament in the light of the reforms of the EU institutions as laid down in the amending treaty;

14. Draws attention to the political connection between the proposed new distribution of seats in accordance with the principle of degressive proportionality and the overall reform package for the institutions of the Union, particularly the 'double majority' principle for the definition of a majority in the Council (Article [9c](4) of the Treaty on European Union as incorporated in the draft amending treaty) and the composition of the Commission (Article [9d](5) of the aforementioned treaty) and stresses the need for that package to be coherent while at the same time recognising the specific legal nature of each institution; agrees that ...[+++], while the reform of majority voting in the Council and of the composition of the Commission should not enter into force until 2014, the new distribution of seats in the European Parliament should take effect in 2009; reserves the right, however, to assess its consent to the European Council decision pursuant to the aforementioned Article [9a] of the Treaty on European Union on the new distribution of seats in the European Parliament in the light of the reforms of the EU institutions as laid down in the amending treaty;