Turkish Right to Information Blog
Monitoring the Implementation and Application of the Turkish law on freedom of information
EU hails Turkey free speech move
Friday, May 2nd, 2008EU hails Turkey free speech move: “Turkey’s vote to amend a law that limits freedom of speech is welcomed by the EU.”
On the other hand, Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis reacted to changes in Turkish Criminal Code related to freedom of expression:
Strasbourg, 02.05.2008 – “The recent amendments to Article 301 of the Turkish penal Code which criminalises insults to the Turkish nation testify to the readiness of the Turkish authorities to review their legislation against the background of their obligations as a member of the Council of Europe and a party to the European Convention on Human Rights. This is to be welcomed. However, although an analysis of the new wording indicates some progress in this respect, it does not alleviate all concerns about excessive restrictions of the freedom of expression, as guaranteed by Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The decisive test of compliance with Council of Europe standards will be the interpretation of the new Article 301 by the Turkish courts, and we will follow the situation very closely.”
(Via BBC News.)
