Anatolian Times, Turkey
Turkish Press
Jan 30 2007

Press Review

ERDOGAN: `ARTICLE 301 COULD BE CHANGED’

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday traveled to Ethiopia to
attend an African Union Summit set to discuss climate change. Erdogan
is expected to brief the gathering on Turkey’s efforts to fight
global warming. Speaking to reporters before his departure, Erdogan
responded to a recent declaration by Bogazici University professors
calling for the abolition of Article 301 after the murder earlier
this month of Hrant Dink, a Turkish journalist of Armenian descent,
saying that the government wasn’t thinking of doing away with the
article altogether. `Many countries have similar laws,’ said Erdogan.
`You need to look at all sections of the law carefully and not ignore
them.’ Erdogan further stressed that he had urged the academics to
rethink their proposal and that they would understand that it is not
coherent. The premier added, however, that the government was open to
suggestions for changes to the article and that he had discussed the
issue with non-governmental organizations. `But the NGOs couldn’t
reach agreement among themselves,’ added Erdogan. /Sabah/