21 07 2008 - EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS ALERTED ON RAGIP ZARAKOLU CONDEMNATION

The European Armenian Federation recently alerted the European Commission on the condemnation of the Turkish dissident Ragip Zarakolu in virtue of the Turkish Penal Code 301 article and the new violation of principles of freedom and democracy (that this case constitutes). The Federation reminds that these principles are supposed to constitute a prerequisite for Turkey’s EU accession.
In the letter sent to the Commissioner for Enlargement, Mr Olli Rehn, the organisation for the defence of Human Rights reminds that M. Zarakolu’s “crime” simply consisted in editing the Turkish translation of a book evoking the Armenian genocide. The Federation is worried, because Mr. Zarakolu’s condemnation has not triggered any reaction from the European Commission, quite the contrary, by opening 2 new chapters with Turkey on the same day, the Commission sent to this country a political message “which strengthens the idea of the inanity of the European values and of the pointlessness of any effort in this regard”.

Reminding the Commission of her own prerequisites for EU accession, and specifically ‘in case of grand and continuous violations in Turkey of the principles of democracy, human rights and basic freedoms, exactly those values on which the European Union is based, the Commission has the right to halt all negotiations”. The European Armenian Federation calls on to the European Commission to “grant Turkey a period of six months, to totally review the bulk of the liberticidal legislation’. Taking into account the ‘credibility of the Union’, ‘the Commission herself has to suggest to the Council to cease the negotiations process in December 2008’.

In parallel, the European Armenian Federation has also informed the Council of Europe’s representative for Human Rights, Mr. Thomas Hamarberg about the Zarakolu case. In the letter is mentioned that Mr. Zarakolu is a fighter for Human Rights in Turkey and that ‘in his country he is fighting for Human Rights and against dogmas’, like racism, glorification of militarism and the denial of the Armenian Genocide. The Federation expresses her worries about the conviction, and notes that ‘it’s symbolic for encouraging the suppression of freedom of speech and the denial of the genocide in Turkey’.

In the letter of the Armenian European Federation sent to Mr. Hamarberg, is reminded that OSCE’s representative for freedom of press Mr. Harartzi, Mr. McSheyn and other prominent members of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) have condemned, both the trial and the conviction’.

The Federation calls on to Mr. Hamamberg to defend and assist the convicted dissident, ‘exactly in accord to his duties, to defend and assist the defenders of Human Rights’ and naturally ‘persuade the Turkish judiciary to re assess their stance on Human Rights in the country”.

“After Hrand Dinks’s assassination, after the Ergenekon paramilitary criminal organization, Zarakolu’s conviction proves that the country is not ready. After these proofs, PACE has to adopt a resolution to restart the monitoring of this country’, announced Laurent Leyliekian, Executive Director of the European Armenian Federation. “The European Commission has to suggest a moratorium on the process and find the right and effective mechanisms for protection and surveillance of the freedom of speech and human rights in Turkey’, concluded Laurent Leylekian.

Monday, 21 July 2008
Contact : Varténie ECHO
Tel. / Fax. : +32 (0) 2 732 70 27

European Armenian Federation