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Hindu, India
Oct 9 2005
European Union will "watch" the trial of Turkish writer
Pamuk facing charges for writing about the deaths of Kurds and
Armenians
ISTANBUL: The European Union enlargement chief met on Saturday
Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk at his home in Istanbul, where the two
discussed freedom of expression ahead of Mr. Pamuk's December trial
for allegedly insulting the Turkish identity.
A Turkish prosecutor used a clause in the penal code to open a case
against Mr. Pamuk, one of Turkey's most successful writers, for
remarks he made about the deaths of Kurds and Armenians in Turkey.
The clause has also been used in recent days to convict an
Armenian-Turkish journalist, raising concerns about Turkey's
tolerance of free expression.
The E.U. has said it will be watching closely when Mr. Pamuk goes
before a judge on December 16.
Controversial code
European Union Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn, on the third day
of a visit to Turkey following the opening of the country's E.U.
membership talks on Tuesday, met Mr. Pamuk for around an hour and a
half, NTV television reported.
Mr. Pamuk said he and Mr. Rehn did not discuss the case directly, but
talked about ``human rights in Turkey in general,'' the Anatolia news
agency reported.
The 301st paragraph of the new penal code says ``a person who insults
Turkishness, the Republic or the Turkish Parliament will be punished
with imprisonment ranging from six months to three years.''
Some prosecutors have liberally interpreted the code and used it to
try those who question Turkey's treatment of minorities, particularly
Armenians and Kurds.
On Friday, Turkey convicted Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink
under the same clause for an article he wrote earlier this year in
which he mentioned poison and Turkish blood in the same sentence.
The court said the article was ``intended to be insulting and
offensive,'' while Mr. Dink said his words were taken out of context.
Mr. Dink, who has lived in Turkey all his life, received a six-month
suspended sentence.
He said the conviction was an attempt to silence him and held back
tears as he said on Turkish television that he would leave Turkey if
he could not get his conviction overturned.
Genocide charge
A case was opened against Mr. Pamuk after he told a Swiss newspaper
in February, ``30,000 Kurds and 1 million Armenians were killed in
these lands and nobody but me dares to talk about it.'' He was
referring to those killed during Turkey's two-decade conflict with
Kurdish rebels and to Armenians killed by Ottoman Turks around the
time of World War I.
Armenians and several countries recognise those killings as the first
genocide of the 20th century, which Turkey denies.
``My trial isn't something that worries me, but Turkey's democracy,
human rights and freedom of expression are important details for all
of us,'' Anatolia quoted Mr. Pamuk as saying. -
Oct 9 2005
European Union will "watch" the trial of Turkish writer
Pamuk facing charges for writing about the deaths of Kurds and
Armenians
ISTANBUL: The European Union enlargement chief met on Saturday
Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk at his home in Istanbul, where the two
discussed freedom of expression ahead of Mr. Pamuk's December trial
for allegedly insulting the Turkish identity.
A Turkish prosecutor used a clause in the penal code to open a case
against Mr. Pamuk, one of Turkey's most successful writers, for
remarks he made about the deaths of Kurds and Armenians in Turkey.
The clause has also been used in recent days to convict an
Armenian-Turkish journalist, raising concerns about Turkey's
tolerance of free expression.
The E.U. has said it will be watching closely when Mr. Pamuk goes
before a judge on December 16.
Controversial code
European Union Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn, on the third day
of a visit to Turkey following the opening of the country's E.U.
membership talks on Tuesday, met Mr. Pamuk for around an hour and a
half, NTV television reported.
Mr. Pamuk said he and Mr. Rehn did not discuss the case directly, but
talked about ``human rights in Turkey in general,'' the Anatolia news
agency reported.
The 301st paragraph of the new penal code says ``a person who insults
Turkishness, the Republic or the Turkish Parliament will be punished
with imprisonment ranging from six months to three years.''
Some prosecutors have liberally interpreted the code and used it to
try those who question Turkey's treatment of minorities, particularly
Armenians and Kurds.
On Friday, Turkey convicted Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink
under the same clause for an article he wrote earlier this year in
which he mentioned poison and Turkish blood in the same sentence.
The court said the article was ``intended to be insulting and
offensive,'' while Mr. Dink said his words were taken out of context.
Mr. Dink, who has lived in Turkey all his life, received a six-month
suspended sentence.
He said the conviction was an attempt to silence him and held back
tears as he said on Turkish television that he would leave Turkey if
he could not get his conviction overturned.
Genocide charge
A case was opened against Mr. Pamuk after he told a Swiss newspaper
in February, ``30,000 Kurds and 1 million Armenians were killed in
these lands and nobody but me dares to talk about it.'' He was
referring to those killed during Turkey's two-decade conflict with
Kurdish rebels and to Armenians killed by Ottoman Turks around the
time of World War I.
Armenians and several countries recognise those killings as the first
genocide of the 20th century, which Turkey denies.
``My trial isn't something that worries me, but Turkey's democracy,
human rights and freedom of expression are important details for all
of us,'' Anatolia quoted Mr. Pamuk as saying. -