Peculiar meetings in the European Parliament

On Wednesday Nov. 13, 2019, Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was invited to the U.S. to act as guest to U.S. President Donald Trump. Figures opposed to Turkey were disappointed with the success of the meeting between the two heads of state, which culminated in an agreement to take positive steps to thaw tension between their respective nations.
Turkey and the U.S. have long constituted important allies to one another, not to mention close trade partners, making any talk of a "severing" of relations between the countries superfluous. Both countries need one another, a fact demonstrated by Erdoğan, once again preventing those aiming to “cause a crisis” between the two countries from achieving their goals.
The outcome will no doubt upset those in Europe hoping for a U.S. condemnation of Turkey on Nov. 13, 2019, during which time special meetings took place in the European Parliament.
Cypriot MEP for the Movement for Social Democracy Demetris Papadakis had put out an invitation for a “propaganda” meeting on the evening of Nov. 13, 2019 regarding the “Cyprus Peace Operation of 1974.” Such meetings tend to be convened more regularly when Turkey's place on the political agenda becomes more prevalent, yet fail to address issues from the Turkish side of the debate, not least the issue of persons who disappeared during the height of the crisis. No matter which subject is being discussed about Turkey, Greek and Cypriot Greek members of parliament insist on evading the issue with continued emphasis on Cypriot-Turkish relations. The fact remains, however, that if one really must speak about missing people in Cyprus,one must also account for the many Cypriot Turks who disappeared between 1959 and 1974. Unfortunately, the latter's inclusion in the discussion is discarded. Despite the fact that in the south pf Cyprus there are many who hold it true that "the best Turk is a dead Turk," this matter is never brought up in Brussels. Fortunately, however, everybody seems tired of Cypriot Greek parliamentarians' continued efforts, with few in attendance at any such meeting.
On Wednesday Nov. 13, 2019, yet others who hoping for negative news about Turkey's relations with the U.S. persisted in their efforts, inviting an American guest to talk to the European Parliament. MEPs Bert-Jan Ruissen and Peter van Dalen, invited Andrew Brunson to a special conference they arranged. Since Andrew Brunson is not very well known in Europe, let us introduce him a little. A pastor who lived in Turkey for a very long time, Brunson strangely enough, formed a “network” throughout the country. In addition to being a pastor, Brunson was tried as an "American spy" in Turkey, giving him the starring role in a political crisis that emerged between the two countries. He is also a figure who attended many meetings held by circles that are hostile to Turkey in the U.S.. Following his release and return to the U.S. on a private plane, Brunson, an fervent evangelist who conducted many propaganda activities in the U.S., has now extended his activities to Europe.
The question begs to be asked of exactly what business Brunson has in the European Parliament. Truth to be told, the meeting was held late due to the low number of participants. Following a fury of telephone traffic, however, the small meeting hall was eventually filled. The subject of the meeting was "Freedom of Religion in Turkey."
With his typically evangelist “Anti-Islamic” speech, I guess the audience were a little surprised by Brunson for having said nothing other than general criticisms towards Christians in Turkey, which was his actual subject.
In his speech, which targeted Turkey and Iran without referring to them overtly, Brunson held the PKK terrorist group and its Syrian extension, the People’s Protection Units (YPG) terrorist group, as forces that could fight against political Islam in Turkey and Syria in order to protect the Christian world, along with similar nonsensical points. Of course, those ready to buy into such "conspiracy theories" are plentiful. The representatives from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) who attended the meeting, meanwhile, claimed they were very pleased to talk to Brunson. How unsurprising.
In short, what we are trying to say is that those opposed to Turkey in the European Parliament will get nowhere with meetings such as these, which go ahead achieving nothing.
This was proved yet again on the Defense and Security Sub-Commission Meeting held on November 12, 2019. In these meetings, MEPs well-known for their enmity to Turkey, as well as Greek Cypriot MPs whose sole job appears to be engaging in propaganda against Turkey, made their usual speeches against Turkey. However, since these speeches were full of hostility and hatred, their content was unrealistic.
Many compared Turkey's operation in northern Syria to an invasion similar to that they accuse Turkey of having engaged in in the north of Cyprus. Yet others claimed that Turkey was seizing petroleum in the north of Syria, or prophesizing that Turkey would never leave Syria, along with other falsehoods. As the list of lies grew, the quality of the meeting naturally waned.
Members of parliament who are making unrealistic claims about Turkey, whether intentionally or out of ignorance, are failing to get a reaction even among experts critical to Turkey. For instance, on Nov. 12, 2019, when one member of parliament followed claims with the statement that “Turkey is committing genocide in Syria," at this point, a representative from the EU Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) was unable to stay calm and responded, "enough with the nonsense." The MEP's baffled looks revealed the game was up, with the EUISS member stating that; "In history, genocide happened, for example, in Nazi Germany, when millions of Jews were murdered. Such an accusation cannot be made towards Turkey. Know what you are talking about," before proceeding to discredit the claims by proving one by one that they are based on false accusations.
Of course, MEPs hostile to Turkey were not convinced and evidently uncomfortable with someone speaking the truth within the commission.
We, on the other hand, rejoiced in the knowledge that in the European Union and European Parliament the field is not left entirely to those that brewing hostility towards Turkey. First of all, enmity with Turkey is in contrast with the European Union's interests. Those who are hostile to Turkey are primarily causing damage to the EU's interests alone.