AMENDMENT AIMS TO OPEN EU PATH
By Andrew Borowiec
The Washington Times
April 24, 2008 Thursday
Amidst an increasingly acerbic political debate, the Turkish parliament
has amended parts of a penal code in an attempt to ease the path to
negotiations for EU membership.
Diplomatic sources said the proposed text attempts to appease the
nationalist opposition but falls short of satisfying those who claim
that Article 301 of the code, which imposes a penalty for " insulting
Turkishness, " violates freedom of expression.
The amended version eliminates the term " Turkishness " and reduces
the penalty for " denigrating the Turkish nation " from three to
two years in prison. Dozens of journalists and writers, including
Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk, have been tried under the article,
mainly for writing about the treatment of the Kurdish minority and
of the World War I massacres of Armenians, which Turkey persistently
denies. Criticism of the Turkish army also is considered to be a crime.
Critics of the proposed amendment say the governing Justice and
Development party (AKP) has mainly " tinkered with the wording of
the law " but kept most of its problematic features.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg,
France, has asked that the article be repealed because " it judicially
limits freedom of expression and validates legal and other attacks
against journalists. "
The Turkish opposition Nationalist Action Party has campaigned against
any changes, saying the law is part of the heritage of Mustafa Kemal
Ataturk, founder of the Turkish republic, who struggled to instill
patriotic values and strong national identity in a country once known
as " the sick man of Europe. "
Cengiz Aktar, a political scientist at Istanbul’s Bahcesehir
University, said the way Article 301 has been amended is unlikely to
impress the European Union.
Besides, he said, other articles in the penal code " kill freedom of
speech. "
Turkey’s negotiations for EU membership have stumbled over several
issues. The government insists it will continue reforms despite
considerable opposition in Europe to admit a predominantly Muslim
nation of more than 70 million.
On Monday, Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik joined other
European officials who have suggested that a formula of association
would be more practical than full Turkish membership.
" I could imagine a Turkish-European community as another rational,
realistic alternative, " she said while visiting Ankara. The idea was
rejected by Turkey and mooted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and
French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan yesterday reiterated Turkish
opposition to any formula other than full EU membership. " We view
Turkey’s accession to the EU as one of the most important peace
projects of the 21st century, " he said.