EU CONCERNED OVER TURKISH LAW RESTRICTING FREEDOM OF SPEECH, LACK OF MINORITY RIGHTS
By JAN SLIVA, Associated Press Writer
Associated Press Worldstream
November 6, 2007 Tuesday 7:22 PM GMT
Turkey must improve minority rights, enhance freedom of expression
and religion and press ahead with other crucial reforms for its
European Union membership bid to accelerate, the European Commission
said Tuesday.
In its annual report on Turkey, the EU executive repeated that Ankara
must normalize its relations with EU member Cyprus and honor a 2005
pact to open its ports and airports to the island republic.
The pace of reforms has slowed since Turkey’s membership negotiations
opened two years ago, and "significant further efforts are needed"
in crucial areas, said the report. Human rights issues, the dispute
over Cyprus and other problems hinder the bid.
The report drew a strong reaction from Ankara, which urged EU countries
not to impede Turkey’s efforts with what it called "obstacles that
are not related" to the process.
"The relative slowdown in reforms, due to the election process in
recent months, is something that can occur in every country," said
a statement from the foreign ministry.
The EU is particularly concerned about Article 301 of the Turkish
penal code, which makes it a crime to insult Turkish identity or
the country’s institutions. The article has been used to prosecute
people such as Nobel Prize-winning author Orhan Pamuk and slain ethnic
Armenian journalist Hrant Dink for commenting on the mass killings
of Armenians by Turks in the early 20th century.
"It is not acceptable that writers, journalists, academics and other
intellectuals … are prosecuted for simply expressing a critical but
completely nonviolent opinion," EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn
said when presenting the report.
"The infamous Article 301 must be repealed or amended without delay,"
he said.
Reacting to the report, Turkey’s justice minister said the government
would change the law making denigrating Turkish identity a crime
punishable by three years in prison and bring the proposal to lawmakers
for a vote.
"The amendment has been completed and will be brought to parliament
soon," private NTV and CNN-Turk televisions quoted Justice Minister
Mehmet Ali Sahin as saying.
The EU report commended the Turkish government for solving
a constitutional crisis before President Abdulah Gul was elected
earlier this year, but said the military still exerts "significant
political influence."
Turkey’s EU membership talks stalled last year when the EU froze
negotiations on eight of 35 so-called "negotiating chapters" or
policy areas because of Ankara’s refusal to open its ports to trade
with Cyprus, an EU member since 2004.
The eight chapters will not be opened until Turkey allows Greek Cypriot
planes and vessels to use Turkish ports and airports, Rehn said.
He added that negotiations in two new areas health and consumer policy
and trans-European networks could start in the coming weeks, but warned
talks on judicial and fundamental rights issues would only start when
Turkey brings its rights legislation fully in line with EU law.
The 27-nation EU is divided over whether Turkey, a mainly Muslim
country of 71 million people, should one day join. Turkey’s accession
faces opposition from some member states, such as France and Austria.
The talks are expected to last at least a decade.
In an apparent reference to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, a critic
of Turkey’s bid, the Turkish foreign ministry said it believed "the
future of Turkey-EU relations should not be shaped according to the
personal preferences of certain member countries’ leaders."
The EU executive praised Turkey’s economic reforms but chided
authorities for their approach to minority rights, which it said has
remained "unchanged" over the past year.
In the southeast of the country, "Turkey needs to create the conditions
for the predominantly Kurdish population there to enjoy full rights
and freedoms," the report said.
The report was published as Turkey was considering military moves
against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq. The rebels have killed more
than 40 Turks in the past month.
"It is important to recognize and comment on the restraint exercised
by the Turkish government in the face of continual terrorist attacks,"
Rehn said. "The international community must support Turkey’s efforts
to protect its people and fight terrorism while respecting the rule of
law, preserving regional peace and refraining from any disproportionate
military action."
Associated Press Writers Suzan Fraser and Selcan Hacaoglu contributed
to this story from Ankara