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EU warns Ankara over ruling
Turkish Daily News
July 13, 2006
The European Commission lamented on Wednesday a Turkish court ruling
against an ethnic Armenian journalist for "denigrating the Turkish
national identity," warning that the case could cloud Ankara's
EU hopes.
Commenting on an appeal court ruling on Hrant Dink, EU Enlargement
Commissioner Olli Rehn called on the Turkish government to bolster
freedom of speech in the country.
"I am disappointed by this judgment which limits the exercise of
freedom of expression in Turkey," he said, following Tuesday's court
ruling, the first such judgment based on Article 301 of Turkey's new
Penal Code.
He noted that the ruling "will set the trend for lower jurisdiction
to follow when applying Article 301 in the future," adding: "This is
all the more serious since there are still a number of similar court
cases pending."
"I would therefore urge the Turkish authorities to amend Article 301
and other vaguely formulated articles in order to guarantee freedom
of expression in Turkey," he said.
He underlined that freedom of expression is a key principle of the
EU's so-called Copenhagen political criteria, which Ankara must adhere
to if it one day wants to join the currently 25-nation bloc.
"In any case, the commission will review the situation in light of
the Copenhagen political criteria in its upcoming Progress Report,"
Rehn said, referring to an annual report on Ankara's EU preparations
due in October.
Dink now faces the risk of going to prison if he commits a similar
offense over the next five years.
Turkish Daily News
July 13, 2006
The European Commission lamented on Wednesday a Turkish court ruling
against an ethnic Armenian journalist for "denigrating the Turkish
national identity," warning that the case could cloud Ankara's
EU hopes.
Commenting on an appeal court ruling on Hrant Dink, EU Enlargement
Commissioner Olli Rehn called on the Turkish government to bolster
freedom of speech in the country.
"I am disappointed by this judgment which limits the exercise of
freedom of expression in Turkey," he said, following Tuesday's court
ruling, the first such judgment based on Article 301 of Turkey's new
Penal Code.
He noted that the ruling "will set the trend for lower jurisdiction
to follow when applying Article 301 in the future," adding: "This is
all the more serious since there are still a number of similar court
cases pending."
"I would therefore urge the Turkish authorities to amend Article 301
and other vaguely formulated articles in order to guarantee freedom
of expression in Turkey," he said.
He underlined that freedom of expression is a key principle of the
EU's so-called Copenhagen political criteria, which Ankara must adhere
to if it one day wants to join the currently 25-nation bloc.
"In any case, the commission will review the situation in light of
the Copenhagen political criteria in its upcoming Progress Report,"
Rehn said, referring to an annual report on Ankara's EU preparations
due in October.
Dink now faces the risk of going to prison if he commits a similar
offense over the next five years.