Tweet
NTV MSNBC, Turkey
Jan 29 2007
Turkish government not looking to annul controversial law
Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said Sunday that article 301 could be
rewritten.
Güncelleme: 11:41 TSİ 29 Ocak 2007 PazartesiANKARA - Turkey's
government is not considering annulling all of a controversial
article of the country's penal code covering the crime of insulting
turkish identity, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said late
Sunday.
Speaking at a press conference at Ankara's Esenboga Airport before
flying to Ethiopia to attend the opening session of heads of state
and government summit of the Africa Union, Erdogan said that a
partial revision of article 301 could be contemplated.
`We aren't thinking of a complete annulment of Article 301,' he said.
`Items included in the first and the second paragraphs should be
assessed properly.
You cannot disregard them. On the other hand, we are open to every
proposal on amendment. We can work on an amendment. I had talks with
NGOs on this matter, but we saw that there are disagreements among
NGOs. If they reach a compromise and make a proposal, we will assess
it.'
Article 301 has been used to charge a number of prominent writers,
journalists and scholars, including the late Hrant Dink, the
Turkish-Armenian journalist who was gunned down in Istanbul on
January 19. In its current form, the article specifies that a person
who openly denigrates Turkishness, the republic or the Turkish Grand
National Assembly will be sentenced to a sentence ranging from six
months to three years imprisonment.
Its second clause says that a person who openly denigrates the
Turkish government, the state's judiciary organs, the military or
police will be sentenced to a sentence of six months to two years
imprisonment.
The third article says that in the event the crime of denigrating
Turkishness is committed by a Turkish citizen in a foreign country,
the penalty shall be increased three times, while the forth sub
article says that expressing thoughts for the purpose of criticism
does not constitute a crime.
Article 301 has been roundly criticised by human rights groups,
non-government organisations, scholars and the European Union as
being an impediment to freedom of speech.
Jan 29 2007
Turkish government not looking to annul controversial law
Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said Sunday that article 301 could be
rewritten.
Güncelleme: 11:41 TSİ 29 Ocak 2007 PazartesiANKARA - Turkey's
government is not considering annulling all of a controversial
article of the country's penal code covering the crime of insulting
turkish identity, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said late
Sunday.
Speaking at a press conference at Ankara's Esenboga Airport before
flying to Ethiopia to attend the opening session of heads of state
and government summit of the Africa Union, Erdogan said that a
partial revision of article 301 could be contemplated.
`We aren't thinking of a complete annulment of Article 301,' he said.
`Items included in the first and the second paragraphs should be
assessed properly.
You cannot disregard them. On the other hand, we are open to every
proposal on amendment. We can work on an amendment. I had talks with
NGOs on this matter, but we saw that there are disagreements among
NGOs. If they reach a compromise and make a proposal, we will assess
it.'
Article 301 has been used to charge a number of prominent writers,
journalists and scholars, including the late Hrant Dink, the
Turkish-Armenian journalist who was gunned down in Istanbul on
January 19. In its current form, the article specifies that a person
who openly denigrates Turkishness, the republic or the Turkish Grand
National Assembly will be sentenced to a sentence ranging from six
months to three years imprisonment.
Its second clause says that a person who openly denigrates the
Turkish government, the state's judiciary organs, the military or
police will be sentenced to a sentence of six months to two years
imprisonment.
The third article says that in the event the crime of denigrating
Turkishness is committed by a Turkish citizen in a foreign country,
the penalty shall be increased three times, while the forth sub
article says that expressing thoughts for the purpose of criticism
does not constitute a crime.
Article 301 has been roundly criticised by human rights groups,
non-government organisations, scholars and the European Union as
being an impediment to freedom of speech.