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Amendment Aims To Open EU Path

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  • Amendment Aims To Open EU Path

    AMENDMENT AIMS TO OPEN EU PATH
    By Andrew Borowiec

    The Washington Times
    April 24, 2008 Thursday

    Amidst an increasingly acerbic political debate, the Turkish parliament
    has amended parts of a penal code in an attempt to ease the path to
    negotiations for EU membership.

    Diplomatic sources said the proposed text attempts to appease the
    nationalist opposition but falls short of satisfying those who claim
    that Article 301 of the code, which imposes a penalty for " insulting
    Turkishness, " violates freedom of expression.

    The amended version eliminates the term " Turkishness " and reduces
    the penalty for " denigrating the Turkish nation " from three to
    two years in prison. Dozens of journalists and writers, including
    Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk, have been tried under the article,
    mainly for writing about the treatment of the Kurdish minority and
    of the World War I massacres of Armenians, which Turkey persistently
    denies. Criticism of the Turkish army also is considered to be a crime.

    Critics of the proposed amendment say the governing Justice and
    Development party (AKP) has mainly " tinkered with the wording of
    the law " but kept most of its problematic features.

    The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg,
    France, has asked that the article be repealed because " it judicially
    limits freedom of expression and validates legal and other attacks
    against journalists. "

    The Turkish opposition Nationalist Action Party has campaigned against
    any changes, saying the law is part of the heritage of Mustafa Kemal
    Ataturk, founder of the Turkish republic, who struggled to instill
    patriotic values and strong national identity in a country once known
    as " the sick man of Europe. "

    Cengiz Aktar, a political scientist at Istanbul's Bahcesehir
    University, said the way Article 301 has been amended is unlikely to
    impress the European Union.

    Besides, he said, other articles in the penal code " kill freedom of
    speech. "

    Turkey's negotiations for EU membership have stumbled over several
    issues. The government insists it will continue reforms despite
    considerable opposition in Europe to admit a predominantly Muslim
    nation of more than 70 million.

    On Monday, Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik joined other
    European officials who have suggested that a formula of association
    would be more practical than full Turkish membership.

    " I could imagine a Turkish-European community as another rational,
    realistic alternative, " she said while visiting Ankara. The idea was
    rejected by Turkey and mooted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and
    French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

    Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan yesterday reiterated Turkish
    opposition to any formula other than full EU membership. " We view
    Turkey's accession to the EU as one of the most important peace
    projects of the 21st century, " he said.
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