“Genocide” removed from Turkish Penal Code before adoption on 1 Jun

Anatolia news agency
12 May 05

ANKARA

Turkish Parliamentary Justice Commission adopted on Thursday [12 May]
some articles of a bill amending the new Turkish Penal Code (TCK) to
be enacted on 1 June.

During the debates at the parliament, ruling Justice and Development
Party (AK Party) parliamentarians Recep Ozel and Hasan Kara jointly
submitted a motion envisaging imprisonment up to three years for
people who claim that Turkish nation commits genocide or crimes
against humanity.

The Justice Minister Cemil Cicek stated that the motion was in fact
the outcome of reactions (to the recent attempts in foreign countries
to recognize the so-called Armenian genocide allegations). It was
ultimately withdrawn.

The bill changes 37 articles of the TCK.