06 01 26 - PAMUK CASE:

PAMUK CASE: PROSECUTION'S WITHDRAWAL SHOULD TRIGGER THE END OF
ANTI-ARMENIAN LAWS IN TURKEY

-- The European Armenian Federation proposes a general assessment of
Turkey's enduring legal basis for the extermination and the spoliation of
Armenians --

BRUSSELS - The European Armenian Federation has welcomed decision taken by
the Istanbul Court to end the prosecution of Orhan Pamuk for his statement
on the Armenian Genocide.

The Turkish Ministry of Justice, in a letter to the court, affirmed that it
would not provide the requested authorization for the trial to move forward.
As a result, the Court chose to drop the suit against Mr. Pamuk.

The European Armenian Federation is pleased that the Turkish State decided
to end this individual blow to freedom of expression. It recalls, however,
that dozens of intellectuals and journalists are still being prosecuted on
similar grounds, and that this singular action toward Mr. Pamuk should not
allow their fates to be ignored. The Federation holds that this is not
simply a personal matter concerning Mr. Pamuk, but rather a legal matter
involving Turkish statutes currently in force that censor freedom of
opinion.

The European Armenian Federation notes that the Turkish government's action
regarding the Pamuk case provides clear evidence of the weight of the
European Union demands. "Just as clearly, each time the European Union
evades its responsibilities by either compromising its values or waiving its
standards, Ankara interprets this retreat as encouragement that its human
rights violations can be committed with impunity. This episode demonstrates
that Turkey will have to respond positively to forceful European Union
demands that it recognize the Armenian Genocide," said Laurent Leylekian,
Executive Director of the European Armenian Federation.

"Therefore, we call upon the European Commission to increase its efforts
toward assessing Turkish law and judicial practices - at all levels from the
Constitution to criminal statutes - that are still in force and that have
provided a legal basis for the extermination and the spoliation of
Armenians," concluded Leylekian.

V.V