TURKEY MOVES TO AMEND SPEECH LAW
Story from BBC NEWS:
europe/7081747.stm
Published: 2007/11/06 23:04:09 GMT
The Turkish government says it will change a controversial law
restricting freedom of expression.
Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said a new bill would be put before
the Turkish parliament in the coming days.
The law being reviewied, Article 301, bans perceived insults to
Turkish identity or the country’s institutions.
It has often been invoked by nationalists against those who argue
the Ottoman empire committed genocide against Armenians.
"Several drafts have been prepared in line with proposals by civic
groups.
The cabinet will discuss them at first opportunity, select one and
submit it to parliament," Mr Sahin told Anatolia news agency.
The infamous Article 301 must be repealed or amended without delay
Ollie Rehn EU enlargement commissioner
He did not give details of how the law would be reformed.
Earlier on Tuesday the European Commission said restrictions on freedom
of expression were blocking Turkey’s progress towards EU membership.
"It is not acceptable that writers, journalists, academics and other
intellectuals… are prosecuted for simply expressing a critical but
completely non-violent opinion," EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli
Rehn said.
"The infamous Article 301 must be repealed or amended without delay,"
he added.
Nobel-winning novelist Orhan Pamuk and Turkish-Armenian writer Hrant
Dink were both prosecuted under the law for their comments on the
mass killings of Armenians.
Hrant Dink was shot dead outside his Istanbul office in January 2007
and his murder revived a debate about the law.
Many said his prosecution under Article 301 made him a target for
radical nationalists.