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Alert

President approves problematic amendments to Anti-Terror Law

(WiPC/IFEX) - On 17 July 2006, President Necdet Sezer approved amendments to the Turkish Anti Terror Law despite widespread concern that their implementation would lead to a steep downturn in the state of freedom of expression in Turkey. In a statement dated 14 July, International PEN wrote that the passing of these amendments threatens to broaden "the definition of terrorism and brings with it the possibility of many more prosecutions of writers and journalists for writings that cannot be construed as supporting or advocating violence." It added, "International PEN fears that the effect of passing this law would be to reverse the many positive legislative changes of recent years that have led to improvements in the state of freedom of expression."

On the same day he approved the amendments, President Sezer announced that he would be applying to the Constitutional Court for the annulment of a number of Anti-Terror Law articles. Full details of his intentions in this regard are not yet available.

WiPC calls on the president to ensure that the articles recommended for removal from the law include those that suppress the right to freedom of expression, as defined in international human rights instruments to which Turkey is committed, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights. It also calls on the Turkish authorities to consider a review of the Penal Code under which many writers and journalists have been tried, and which includes articles providing heavy penalties for the expression of opinions even though the right to express them is internationally guaranteed.

For further details of the law and the campaign by Turkish NGOs against its implementation, go to: http://www.antenna-tr.org