What Özlem spoke about.

11 Mar

2025

DE Speech

White paper on the future of European defence (debate)

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Mr President! Blooming munitions landscapes, blooming weapons landscapes, blooming war landscapes – this is the European Commission’s promise to EU citizens. Cohesion funds, which are actually earmarked to bring living conditions in the EU into line, can continue to be redeployed to the arms industry. Billions have been thrown into the arms industry's throat by the EU for some time, and since the …

11 Mar

2025

DE Speech

Presentation of the proposal on a new common approach on returns (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner! With your populist proposal for a deportation policy, you actually sent only one signal today: The EU wants to deport – faster, more, more ruthless. And if you're being completely honest, you've made it clear today that you don't even have a plan for how you want to do it. Commissioner, you will trample on human rights with your proposals. You don't even have a list …

11 Mar

2025

DE Speech

European Council meetings and European security (joint debate)

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Madam President, Mrs von der Leyen said: The time of illusions is over. And she scattered so much sand in the eyes of the population that you can hardly look right. It uses the uncertainty of the population for a gigantic rearmament package. EUR 800 billion: Not for education, for jobs or social justice, but for weapons. This will not contribute to more security and peace here in Europe. No, it do…

22 Jan

2025

DE Speech

Uniting Europe against actors hostile to the EU: time to strengthen our security and defence (topical debate)

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Madam President, Yes, people are insecure – they are afraid of war and authoritarianism. They want freedom and security. But the danger is not only from foreign oligarchs such as Musk or Russia, but also from local oligarchs, who are accumulating more and more assets and thus concentrating power and currently also crying out for military readiness. Currently, the demands are overturning: Trump cal…

21 Jan

2025

DE Question

Geopolitical and economic implications for the transatlantic relations under the new Trump administration (debate)

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(Start of speech when microphone is switched off) ... that you allow the question. I know you don't put so much emphasis on facts, so I'd like to ask you briefly about your feeling. How does it actually feel for nationalists and fascists like the AfD to finance the election campaign in the tow of US elites and get support from Elon Musk? The second is: In recent years, you have presented yourself …

20 Jan

2025

DE Speech

Ceasefire in Gaza - the urgent need to release the hostages, to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to pave the way for a two-state solution (debate)

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Mr President! Finally! This expression could be seen yesterday in the different faces in the different parts of the region – the joy of a ceasefire. But it took 15 months, and you have to ask: Why did it take so long? Why did the EU remain silent for so long or did some states like the Federal Republic even send weapons into this war? Why did so much blood have to be shed? So many children have be…

20 Jan

2025

DE Question

Ceasefire in Gaza - the urgent need to release the hostages, to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to pave the way for a two-state solution (debate)

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Thank you, Mrs. Bentele, for allowing us to ask. Did I understand you correctly? You think this ceasefire agreement is a pact with the devil because illegally detained Palestinians have also been released. What would you rather have been? That the bloodshed continues? How many more people should have died so you wouldn't be so cynical? Can I assume that you are on the line of your party leader, Mr…

18 Dec

2024

DE Speech

Promoting social dialogue and collective bargaining and the right to strike in the EU (debate)

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Mr President! Dear colleagues! Did you notice? From the outside right, but also the liberals and the Union, almost no one is involved in this debate on collective agreements and the strengthening of the rights of trade unions. I think this attitude already illustrates a lot about the policies of these parties. And yes, of course – it is precisely in these times that trade union rights and workers’…

17 Dec

2024

DE Speech

Russia’s disinformation and historical falsification to justify its war of aggression against Ukraine (debate)

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Madam President, In war, the truth dies first: This statement expresses what applies in every war, without exception. This also applies to Russia's war against Ukraine, as well as to European or NATO wars in the past. Disinformation, half-truths and narratives that are built to legitimize one's own actions and to sell them to the population as necessary, at least to calm them down. But colleagues,…

17 Dec

2024

DE Question

Toppling of the Syrian regime, its geopolitical implications and the humanitarian situation in the region (debate)

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Thank you very much, Mrs. Strack-Zimmermann, for allowing the request. I would say that the war-torn peoples of Syria have a longing for freedom, equality, democracy, peace and justice. It is true that in Syria not only great powers such as Russia or the USA have been raging for decades, but also Israel has been acutely bombing and Turkey is sending the jihadists against the progressive forces in …

26 Nov

2024

DE Speech

Reinforcing EU’s unwavering support to Ukraine against Russia’s war of aggression and the increasing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia (debate)

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14 Nov

2024

DE Speech

Enhancing Europe’s civilian and defence preparedness and readiness (debate)

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Madam President, Disasters, floods, climate killers – that is what defines our everyday lives. Yes, and on the other hand, there is a need for strong civil protection and prevention. But what comes to your mind again? In order to militarize this area now, talk about the fact that you now also want to talk to trade unions. In collective bargaining rounds, however, call out to colleagues and workers…

18 Sep

2024

DE Answer

The deteriorating situation of women in Afghanistan due to the recent adoption of the law on the “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice”

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Thank you, dear colleague, for this request, it only seems a little ridiculous to a person with my biography. I come from Turkey, I come from a religious minority in Turkey, I have Kurdish roots, and I fight with many people here for democracy and freedom. I know that in this region in the Middle East, many people are also fighting for democracy and freedom. But the bitter truth is that, of course…

18 Sep

2024

DE Speech

The deteriorating situation of women in Afghanistan due to the recent adoption of the law on the “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice”

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Mr President! Women's rights are an indicator of the state of societies, according to the guidelines of the feminist foreign policy of the German Foreign Minister Baerbock. It goes on to state that: Access to education and financial resources are unevenly distributed, which is why feminist foreign policy combines principles with a pragmatic approach. How pragmatic, one can actually see at the Hau-…

17 Sep

2024

DE Speech

War in the Gaza Strip and the situation in the Middle-East (debate)

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Madam President, "Essentially, we are mowning the lawn, but the time will come when we will also tear down the roots," Israeli Defense Minister Galant told military representatives on 4 September, referring to Israel's actions in the West Bank. What is yet another announcement for the West Bank is already brutal policy and reality of the Israeli army in Gaza. Not only hospitals, the entire infrast…

17 Sep

2024

DE Question

Continued financial and military support to Ukraine by EU Member States (debate)

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(Start of speech with microphone switched off) ... now that you have again used two narratives – the first is to the left, which is actually unbearable – I wanted to ask you why you think that you can still defame every voice for peace as an understanding Putin and a Putinist. Have you not noticed that in the Federal Republic of Germany a majority of the population now says that it is enough? The …

17 Sep

2024

DE Speech

Continued financial and military support to Ukraine by EU Member States (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen! Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, billions – tens of billions – have been invested in weapons and sent to Ukraine. A wave of militarism was launched. For example, Germans train Ukrainian soldiers. With the calls for the battlefield, even parties such as the Greens, who once called themselves the Peace Party, are attuned to the chorus of militarism. But the ong…

16 Sep

2024

DE Speech

Need to prevent security threats like the Solingen attack through addressing illegal migration and effective return (debate)

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Madam President, I heard the terrible news and reported directly to my office manager. She and her family live in Solingen. She had left the place shortly before the assassination, friends and acquaintances were still there. An Islamist killed people, wounded many. I grieve for the victims, I feel for the relatives. Radical Islamists terrorize and kill people because they live and believe differen…

23 Apr

2024

DE Speech

EU’s response to the repeated killing of humanitarian aid workers, journalists and civilians by the Israel Defence Forces in the Gaza Strip (debate)

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Madam President, Even now, seven months after the war in Gaza, there have been some speeches here in parliament that really speak the language. That is why I want to say it very clearly: What we are witnessing in Gaza has nothing to do with self-defense. If houses, universities, hospitals are destroyed, 33,000 people are killed, if 1.5 million people are actually suffering from starvation, then wh…

10 Apr

2024

DE Question

Screening of third country nationals at the external borders - European Criminal Records Information System - Third Country Nationals - Common procedure for international protection in the Union - Establishing a return border procedure, and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1148 - Asylum and migration management - Addressing situations of crisis and force majeure - Establishment of 'Eurodac' for the comparison of fingerprints for the effective application of Regulation (EU) No 604/2013, for identifying an illegally staying third-country national or stateless person and on requests for the comparison with Eurodac data by Member States' law enforcement authorities and Europol for law enforcement purposes (recast) - Union Resettlement Framework - Standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection - Standards for the reception of applicants for international protection (recast) (joint debate - Migration and Asylum package)

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Thank you, dear Erik, for allowing the demand. You are right about your comments and criticism of this migration pact. But I remember the Green Foreign Minister, after the agreement was reached, saying that this solution was overdue and urgently needed. I remember the Greens speaking out in favour of CEAS at their party conference. I think it is wonderful if you reject today, but the federal gover…

28 Feb

2024

DE Speech

Strengthening European Defence in a volatile geopolitical landscape - Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report 2023 - Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report 2023 (joint debate - European security and defence)

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Mr President! Ms von der Leyen just said that Europe had to wake up and said: We need to be ready to upgrade more. We have to be ready to fight. That is why I would like to say and appeal to the peoples of Europe and say: Awake, peoples of this earth! Because it's days like this that make me very thoughtful. I remember days like this, the novel ‘In the West nothing new’, the scenes of the young me…

27 Feb

2024

DE Speech

War in the Gaza Strip and the need to reach a ceasefire, including recent developments in the region (debate)

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Mr President! For years, the EU has been claiming that it stands for a two-state solution. But nothing has been done for a sovereign Palestine in recent years. Most Member States have not even recognised Palestine. For four months now, a brutal war has been raging against Gaza. Even during this debate here, death, suffering, destruction and devastation are taking their course in Gaza. For four mon…

6 Feb

2024

DE Speech

The need for unwavering EU support for Ukraine, after two years of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine (debate)

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Mr President! The war in Ukraine has been going on for two years now, and one has the feeling in every debate here: Every day the marmot greets. Because in fact, the only thing you're calling for is the battlefield and the supply of weapons. But the war has its facts. It is clear that the offensive in Ukraine has failed, and yet you are calling for weapons. Let me tell you: Yes, of course, the Put…

6 Feb

2024

DE Speech

Conclusions of the European Council meetings, in particular the special European Council meeting of 1 February 2024 (debate)

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Madam President, While The Hague has ruled that South Africa's indictment is admissible because there are signs that could indicate genocide, the Federal Republic of Germany has increased arms deliveries to Israel tenfold. Mr Michel, you stood up and said: We as the EU stand for a two-state solution. But what does this commitment mean when a European member state can actually support Israeli actio…

16 Jan

2024

DE Speech

Keeping commitments and delivering military assistance to Ukraine (debate)

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Mr President! The question of war or peace is usually a class question. As a rule, in war: Weapons deliver the rich and the poor the corpses. The war in Ukraine has been ongoing for 23 months now, and the US Chief of Staff, Mark Milley, said in autumn 2022 that Ukraine is unlikely to win this war on the battlefield. And yet the NATO countries have made one thing – said: ‘fight, boys, keep fighting…