06 09 28 - EU Parliament: Turkey's 301st article must change ..

http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/5158111.asp English
( From A. M. USA)
EU Parliament: Turkey's 301st article must change Debates which took place yesterday in the General Assembly of the EU Parliament put the spotlight on the controversial 301st article of the Turkish Penal Code (TSK), as EU parliamentarians considered aloud the status of the upcoming progress report on Turkey's quest for EU membership. The EU's Commissioner in charge of Expansion, Olli Rehn, has noted that the controversial 301st article in TSK will most likely affect the upcoming EU progress report on Turkey in a negative light. Speaking yesterday in the European Parliament, Rehn said "With this article, Turkey is making a direct infraction on EU standards." Rehn also noted that he was "tired of working to change articles such as 301 and others," but that he would continue his work. Rehn also stressed in his comments that domestic reforms and debates in Turkey during the EU accession process must take place in a "democratic environment." Camiel Eurlings, an EU Parliamentarian who is workin himself on the preparation of the progress report for Turkey, said yesterday that the controversial 301st article of the TSK was "damaging" Turkey's image in the world at large. The most recent case to cast attention on the 301st article was the trial of popular Turkish author Elif Safak, who was brought before court accused of "insulting Turkishness." The charges were dismissed as baseless on the very first day of her trial.

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