TURKEY PAVES WAY FOR PROSECUTION IN ARMENIAN APOLOGY CAMPAIGN
Hurriyet
March 2 2009
Turkey
A Turkish court annulled Monday a ruling that dismissed demands for
the criminal prosecution of individuals who initiated an Internet
campaign to issue a public apology to Armenians, broadcaster NTV
reported. (UPDATED)
The prosecutors’ office in Ankara in January had ruled against demands
for the criminal prosecution of around 200 Turkish intellectuals who
launched a website issuing an apology to Armenians regarding the 1915
incidents, which had also called for people to sign on in support.
There has been no need for criminal prosecution on the legal grounds
that opposing opinions are also protected under freedom of thought
in democratic societies, the prosecutors’ office said in its ruling
after completing its investigation regarding a petition calling for
the organizers of the apology campaign to be charged with "insulting
the Turkish nation openly" under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code
(TCK).
The High Criminal Court in the Sincan district of the Turkish
capital of Ankara annulled the prosecutors’ office ruling on Monday,
broadcaster NTV said.
Armenia, with the backing of the diaspora, claims up to 1.5 million
of their kin were slaughtered in orchestrated killings in 1915.Turkey
rejects the claims saying that 300,000 Armenians, along with at least
as many Turks, died in civil strife that emerged when Armenians took
up arms, backed by Russia, for independence in eastern Anatolia.
The issue remains unsolved as Armenia drags its feet on accepting
Turkey’s proposal to form an independent commission to investigate
the claims.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
