Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Jan 30 2007

TURKISH MP, SWEDISH MINISTER DISCUSS CONTROVERSIAL PENAL CODE
PROVISION

Ankara, 30 January: The Swedish minister for EU affairs, Cecilia
Malmstroem and her accompanying delegation visited the Turkish
parliamentary human rights inquiry commission chairman, Mehmet
Elkatmis, in Turkish parliament on Tuesday [30 January].

"Amendment to Article 301 of Turkish Penal Code is inevitable because
of defects in practice. Our government is looking on it with favour.
Our prime minister asked non-governmental organizations their
opinions on this matter. Problem has its source in practice, not the
article itself," said Elkatmis upon a question by Malmstroem
regarding Article 301.

Elkatmis said remarks for criticism are not considered crime
according to the last paragraph of Article 301, however, he claimed
that this article is being applied incorrectly by judicial
authorities.

Elkatmis said his commission visited Hrant Dink (editor-in-chief of
the Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos, who was shot dead outside his
newspaper’s office in Istanbul on 19 January) in previous years.

"We visited prominent people of minorities. We went to Agos weekly
and met Hrant Dink. We listened to his problems and we informed our
ministers about what was required to be done according to information
we got," he added.

Swedish Minister Cecilia Malmstroem said they were impressed with the
reforms on human rights and freedom carried out by Turkey in recent
years.