WE WILL CHANGE ARTICLE 301 IN A FEW WEEKS TIME BEFORE ELECTIONS, GUL

Anatolian Times, Turkey
Turkish Press
Feb 26 2007

ANKARA – Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah
Gul said Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code would be amended in
a few weeks time.

"This article overshadows Turkey’s reform progress. Both myself and
Prime Minister Erdogan believe that we have to change this article,"
Gul told EUobserver internet site.

Recalling that when they changed the whole Penal Code two years
ago, their intention was not to see any more problems because of the
expression of thoughts, Gul said "but unfortunately, some prosecutors
are opening files against writers and thinkers."

"Now we will change 301, in a few weeks time, before the elections.

But we also need a change in mentality. And this can not happen over
night; it is a process," he said.

Gul said the EU has some problems and these are not permanent, stating
that "there will be a better climate, and by that time, we will already
be in a different situation. We will use this time and make progress."

"Negotiations (with EU) are still going on, even if some chapters
have been frozen. We have not slowed down our speed," he stressed.

Gul said the majority of the member countries are aware of Turkey’s
importance and added, "many member countries defend Turkey better
than me, I noticed that."

On so-called Armenian genocide, Gul said, "what happened in those
years was a tragedy. But to call it a genocide, then we have to find
another terminology for the Jews that were killed in Germany. It
really offends us. Many people lost their lives, Turks, Armenians,
Muslims, Non-Muslims. It was during World War I and in the Balkans,
for instance, the Turks lost three million people," Gul said.

"Our offer was this: if you are really so interested in this issue,
why do not we have a committee composed of historians, we asked them.

We open our archives and let them study. But the Armenians are not
forthcoming. The same offer is valid for the American congressmen
and the French," he added.