PanARMENIAN.Net

Erdogan against canceling 301 article, but says it’s possible to make
changes in it
30.01.2007 14:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan
speaks against canceling the 301st article of the
Turkish Penal Code, but he says it is possible to make
some changes in it. In his words, the matter is not
about full cancellation of the article. Alongside he
added that the Turkish government is ready to discuss
offers from non-governmental organizations and other
interested parties on the issue. The well-known 301st
article, which foresees criminal punishment for
`insulting Turkishness’, has being criticized by
international structures, including the European
Union, since it limits freedom if speech in the
country. Armenian-Turkish bilingual `Agos’
editor-in-chief Hrant Dink was sentenced to 6-month
suspended imprisonment under this article. After his
assassination the claims to cancel that very law
strengthened both from international and Turkish
non-governmental organizations, Cihan News Agency
reports.