EUROPEAN ARMENIAN FEDERATION
for Justice and Democracy
Avenue de la Renaissance 10
B – 1000 BRUSSELS
Tel. +32 (0)2 732 70 26
Tel. /Fax. +32 (0)2 732 70 27
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Contact: Talline Tachdjian
Tel. +32 (0)2 732 70 26
September 28th, 2004
THE NEW TURKISH PENAL CODE WOULD CRIMINALIZE
RECOGNITION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
— The European Armenian Federation calls on the European Commission
to end its silence in the face Turkey’s campaign of denial
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – Following its recent attempts to criminalize
adultery, the Turkish government is now trying to place several
articles in the provisional penal code that threaten freedom of speech,
including, notably, criminal sanctions against those who recognize
or otherwise affirm the facts of the Armenian Genocide.
The European Armenian Federation condemns article 306 of the new
Turkish penal code. This provision threatens authors with jail
sentences over statements, that are construed by government officials
to undermine Turkish “national interests”. Examples of so-called
offensive statements listed in the provisional law include, “The
Turkish Army must withdraw from Cyprus” and “Armenians endured a
genocide during the Ottoman era.” Some parliamentarians introduced
an amendment, which would mandate sanctions against authors and
individuals, if it is determined that their statements are motivated by
“material interests.”
The provision gives no legal justification for the law, which
remains fundamentally incompatible with the European values of free
expression. The European Commission scarcely reacted when the Turkish
Ministry of Education brought genocide denial into the classroom, by
institutionalizing it in the curriculum. A coalition of European NGOs
expressed its concern about the denialist curriculum and called for
the suspension of EC grants to the Turkish educational system. The
European Parliament also expressed its concern in the Oostlander
report on the Turkish application for EU membership.
“Today, far from repenting for the Genocide, Turkey now wants
to include denial of this crime in its penal code. Clearly, the
indifference of the European Commission is partially responsible
for the hardening of the Turkish position on this issue”, said Hilda
Tchoboian, Chairperson of the European Armenian Federation. “Prime
Minister Erdogan’s about-face on the adultery issue will simply be a
media ploy if Europe does not demand that Ankara grant full freedom
of speech to its citizens. We call on political parties, governments,
and human rights organizations to urge the European Commission to
call for justice for the Armenian Genocide. It is unthinkable that
the Commission would not consider Turkey’s denialist position a key
obstacle to the initiation of preliminary talks,” added Tchoboian.
“Whether they are in favor of a European Turkey, or whether they are
against its accession, the Union’s democrats cannot tolerate these
attacks on the freedom of press and thought that have free reign
in Turkey. It is time for the European Union to call on Turkey to
recognize the Armenian Genocide,” concluded Federation’s chairperson.
#####
N.B. In the French version of the Press Release we mentioned
the former article number which was the article 127. An English
version of this article is available to the following web link:
;id_article=60&lang=en