EU PROGRESS REPORT TO COVER FREEDOM OF MEDIA IN TURKEY

Hurriyet Daily News
Tuesday, October 6, 2009

The European Union has closely followed developments related to
freedom of expression and the media in Turkey and the 2009 progress
report will include such issues, says Ambassador Marc Pierini, head
of the European Commission Delegation to Turkey.

EXCHANGE: (L-R) Riza Turmen’ Professor John Horgan and Professor
Ahmet Gokcen speak Tuesday at a panel discussion as part of the
Technical Assistance and Information Exchange, or TAIEX, projects
jointly organized by the European Commission and the EU Secretariat
General for EU Affairs. Anatolia news agency photo

EXCHANGE: (L-R) Riza Turmen’ Professor John Horgan and Professor
Ahmet Gokcen speak Tuesday at a panel discussion as part of the
Technical Assistance and Information Exchange, or TAIEX, projects
jointly organized by the European Commission and the EU Secretariat
General for EU Affairs. Anatolia news agency photo

Recent developments related to the freedom of expression in Turkey
have been closely monitored and the European Commission will cover them
as parts of 2009 progress report, Ambassador Marc Pierini said Tuesday.

"A genuine democracy can only flourish with the full implementation
of freedom of expression and freedom of the media," Pierini said,
delivering a speech at the opening of a two-day seminar in Ankara
jointly organized by the commission and the EU Secretariat General
for EU Affairs within the scope of the Technical Assistance and
Information Exchange, or TAIEX, projects.

The EU is happy to see that a vivid debate is currently taking place in
Turkey on problems related to freedom of expression and the freedom of
press, said Pierini, the commission chief in Ankara. It is confirmation
of an improvement in the current situation, he added.

Stressing that the subject of freedom of expression is one of the
core issues of the ongoing accession negotiations, he said "This is
why the EC continues t e an opinion in its 2009 Progress Report to
be issued in a few days on the 14th of October."

Evolution of minds

It is impressive to observe the "evolution of minds" in Turkey over
the last three years, Pierini said. "Whether we look at the Kurdish
issue or at the Armenian-Turkish relationship, we can witness profound
changes in the approach of the Turkish government and more generally
of the Turkish citizens."

"It is quite striking that, in both cases, a thorough public debate
has now started in a style and content – articles, books, films,
appeals – which would have put some people in a difficult situation
only a few years ago," he added, praising these developments as a
sign of the further maturation of democratic mechanisms.

He concluded with a call on the government to further legislative
reforms in line with EU standards.

Pluralism has not been easy to attain, but serious steps have been
taken towards it, noted Burak Erdenir, the Deputy Secretary General
for EU Affairs and a spokesperson for the government. "The EU has
been regarded as a project of government or elites. That’s why we have
failed to access the union over the last 50 years. I believe that we
will succeed this time since the people started to adopt the process"
he said.

Debates over media freedom

The implementation of Article 10 of the European Convention on Human
Rights concerning certain formalities, restrictions and penalties
has been regarded as a necessary, though difficult task to achieve
in a democratic society.

In his written message to the participants, Turkey’s chief negotiator
for EU accession Egemen BagıÅ~_ said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan was very sensitive on the subject of freedom of expression
as a man who had been jailed due to the reading of a poem 10 years
ago. The government has promoted freedom of speech by opening TV
and radio stations in Kurdish and Armenian as well as kicking off a
judicial reform process, BagıÅ~_ said.

In connection to debates on whether or not the billions ~_an Media
Group is a governmental attempt to silence critical voices in the
media, BagıÅ~_ said: "EU standards and democracy shouldn’t be seen
as tools to remember in time of need. You should pay attention to
your obligations as long as you do for your rights.

"Both media companies and other political parties should be accountable
as well. To my surprise, I see those who don’t give up their own
privileges attempting to give us lessons in democracy and the EU"
he said.

Speaking at the same panel, Rıza Turmen, a former judge of the
European Court of Human Rights, criticized the government’s mentality
toward press freedom. "Freedom of expression is not implemented for
only positive and harmless ideas but also for the ideas which may
annoy the state or a part of society. It is a sign of pluralism."

"I think it is a chilling affect to give a heavy tax fine to a media
group and initiate a process to sell it off. Consequently, it will
start its own censorship against articles criticizing the government
even before the court decision is known," he said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress