Turkey amends penal code
By Savanna Reid

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
May 30 2005

Turkish Parliament eliminates worst censorship laws

Although press freedom advocates are far from satisfied with the new
penal code, Turkey’s legal reform is a major step forward for formal
recognition of basic human rights and freedom of speech. Replacing a
justice system modeled on fascist Italy (circa 1927), the new criminal
laws are more firmly opposed to torture and human rights abuses,
and impose stronger penalties for abusing women and children.

Several extremely heavy-handed censorship provisions have been
dropped. One such article would have sentenced journalists to 15
years for recognizing the historical Armenian genocide as such, or for
advocating Turkish withdrawal from Cyprus. Other provisions remain in
place that will seriously handicap investigative journalism in Turkey,
but overall the reformed code is an important partial fulfillment of
human rights activists’ goals for protecting political speech in a
deeply divided country notorious for brutalizing minority activists.