EP CONCERNED OVER MEDIA CENSORSHIP IN TURKEY
PanARMENIAN.Net
March 10, 2011 - 14:30 AMT 10:30 GMT
The European Parliament has adopted a resolution on the progress of
Turkey with the support of a large majority of MEPs.
The resolution prepared by rapporteur Ria Oomen-Ruijten of the
Netherlands, indicated that arrest of journalists such as Nedim Sener
and Ahmet Sik could lead to lack of confidence in judiciary, adding
that such trials, on the contrary, should strengthen the democracy
in the country.
The European Parliament called on the high representative of the
European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to intensify
the existing dialogue with Turkey on foreign policy issues of mutual
interest since Turkey became a source of inspiration in the Arab
world with its secularism and democracy.
The European Parliament welcomed the adoption of constitutional
amendments as a step in the right direction, and urged their proper
implementation with full observance of the standards of the European
Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
It underlined at the same time, however, the pressing need for
overall constitutional reform transforming Turkey into a fully
fledged pluralistic democracy with the protection of human rights
and fundamental freedoms at its core
The parliament expressed its concerns about the deterioration in
freedom of the press, about certain acts of censorship and about
growing self-censorship within the Turkish media, including on the
internet, and called on the Turkish government to uphold the principles
of press freedom. It also underscored the need for adoption of a new
media law addressing, inter alia, the issues of independence, ownership
and administrative control, the Anatolian News Agency reports.
From: A. Papazian
PanARMENIAN.Net
March 10, 2011 - 14:30 AMT 10:30 GMT
The European Parliament has adopted a resolution on the progress of
Turkey with the support of a large majority of MEPs.
The resolution prepared by rapporteur Ria Oomen-Ruijten of the
Netherlands, indicated that arrest of journalists such as Nedim Sener
and Ahmet Sik could lead to lack of confidence in judiciary, adding
that such trials, on the contrary, should strengthen the democracy
in the country.
The European Parliament called on the high representative of the
European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to intensify
the existing dialogue with Turkey on foreign policy issues of mutual
interest since Turkey became a source of inspiration in the Arab
world with its secularism and democracy.
The European Parliament welcomed the adoption of constitutional
amendments as a step in the right direction, and urged their proper
implementation with full observance of the standards of the European
Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
It underlined at the same time, however, the pressing need for
overall constitutional reform transforming Turkey into a fully
fledged pluralistic democracy with the protection of human rights
and fundamental freedoms at its core
The parliament expressed its concerns about the deterioration in
freedom of the press, about certain acts of censorship and about
growing self-censorship within the Turkish media, including on the
internet, and called on the Turkish government to uphold the principles
of press freedom. It also underscored the need for adoption of a new
media law addressing, inter alia, the issues of independence, ownership
and administrative control, the Anatolian News Agency reports.
From: A. Papazian