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Peninsula On-line, Qatar
Sept 23 2006
Media call for law on 'Turkishness' to be scrapped
Web posted at: 9/23/2006 8:8:24
Source ::: REUTERS
ANKARA ~U Turkey's media called on the government yesterday to scrap
a law making it a crime to insult "Turkishness", saying it tarnished
the image of a country seeking European Union membership.
Leading female novelist Elif Shafak was acquitted on Thursday of
charges that fictional characters in her novel "The Bastard of
Istanbul" had insulted Turkey's identity by referring to a massacre
of Armenians during Ottoman rule in 1915. But newspapers, in their
strongest criticism yet of article 301 of the penal code, said the
law still undermined democracy.
"What is 301? It is a shame on democracy. It is an article of law
that certainly does not suit a free and democratic country," said
columnist Hasan Cemal of liberal daily Milliyet. The EU is pushing
Ankara to improve freedom of expression as a condition of the Muslim
country's entry. But analysts say a powerful anti-EU nationalist
lawyers' group, which has brought dozens of such cases to the courts,
and parts of the judiciary are undermining the drive.
Kemal Kerincsiz of the Grand Lawyers' Association has said he plans
to appeal against the acquittal of Shafak. "The European Union means
slavery and prisoner's chains for Turkey," he said.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged on Thursday to consider
amending article 301 but said the issue was sensitive. A rise in
nationalism ahead of next year's general elections has split the
ruling AK Party, which has roots in political Islam, over whether to
make the change at a time when support for EU membership is waning.
Sept 23 2006
Media call for law on 'Turkishness' to be scrapped
Web posted at: 9/23/2006 8:8:24
Source ::: REUTERS
ANKARA ~U Turkey's media called on the government yesterday to scrap
a law making it a crime to insult "Turkishness", saying it tarnished
the image of a country seeking European Union membership.
Leading female novelist Elif Shafak was acquitted on Thursday of
charges that fictional characters in her novel "The Bastard of
Istanbul" had insulted Turkey's identity by referring to a massacre
of Armenians during Ottoman rule in 1915. But newspapers, in their
strongest criticism yet of article 301 of the penal code, said the
law still undermined democracy.
"What is 301? It is a shame on democracy. It is an article of law
that certainly does not suit a free and democratic country," said
columnist Hasan Cemal of liberal daily Milliyet. The EU is pushing
Ankara to improve freedom of expression as a condition of the Muslim
country's entry. But analysts say a powerful anti-EU nationalist
lawyers' group, which has brought dozens of such cases to the courts,
and parts of the judiciary are undermining the drive.
Kemal Kerincsiz of the Grand Lawyers' Association has said he plans
to appeal against the acquittal of Shafak. "The European Union means
slavery and prisoner's chains for Turkey," he said.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged on Thursday to consider
amending article 301 but said the issue was sensitive. A rise in
nationalism ahead of next year's general elections has split the
ruling AK Party, which has roots in political Islam, over whether to
make the change at a time when support for EU membership is waning.