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ANKARA: 'What Happened To EU's Principle Of Freedom Of Expression?'

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  • ANKARA: 'What Happened To EU's Principle Of Freedom Of Expression?'

    'WHAT HAPPENED TO EU'S PRINCIPLE OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION?'

    The New Anatolian, Turkey
    Sept 29 2006

    The Foreign Ministry's spokesperson yesterday expressed dismay at the
    exclusion of three Turkish-origin candidates from the Dutch elections,
    describing the incident as a "bad precedent" which is contrary to
    the European Union's fundamental principle of freedom of expression.

    Stressing that decisions on determining candidates and elections
    procedures for the Dutch early general elections, set for Nov 22, are
    an issue of domestic politics and stating views on this issue would be
    wrong, spokesperson Namik Tan commented on the repercussions of the
    issue in foreign policy."Ankara is upset that political parties of
    its friend and ally, the Netherlands, have one-sided views about the
    Armenian genocide claims which is contrary to freedom of expression,"
    Tan said in a written statement.

    Three Turkish-origin candidates have been removed from the Dutch
    elections list for not recognizing the Armenian genocide claims, ahead
    of the early general elections. The removal of the three candidates --
    Erdinc Sacan from the Dutch Labor Party (PVDA) and Ayhan Tonca and
    Osman Elmaci from Christian Democratic Party (CDA) -- is the result
    of the activities of the Armenian lobby in the Netherlands.

    Tan continued his criticism, saying that the baseless accusations
    related to the Armenian genocide that have been covered in the media
    are directed against Turkey and the Turkish nation and are unacceptable
    to Ankara. "On an issue on which historians haven't reached a
    consensus, the one-sided view that was adopted by Turkey's ally and
    friend, the Netherlands' political parties, by making recognition of
    the genocide claims a pre-condition to becoming a candidate in the
    elections, and without taking into consideration different views that
    could be held by such candidates, sets a bad precedent."

    Recalling that Turkey opened its Ottoman archives, including military
    ones, to contribute to efforts for an academic investigation of
    the events of 1915, Tan also underlined that Ankara suggested the
    establishment of a joint commission of Turkish and Armenian historians
    to study the controversial genocide claims.

    The Foreign Ministry spokesperson also stressed that developments like
    the one in the Netherlands definitely do not contribute to Turkey's
    good-will efforts in the issue.
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