22 December 2004
IFEX MEMBERS HIGHLIGHT FREE EXPRESSION CONCERNS AMIDST EU TALKS
As Turkey took one step closer toward membership in the European Union (EU) with the agreement last week to begin formal accession talks, IFEX members focused attention on the need to continue pressing the Turkish government on its free expression record.
The Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of International PEN and the International Publishers Association (IPA) released a set of recommendations for bringing Turkey's new Penal Code in line with European free expression standards.
The groups say the Code, adopted on 27 September 2004, contains several provisions that discourage debate on sensitive topics, including Cyprus and the Armenian genocide. They say the EU must "take action now to eliminate all remaining obstacles to freedom of expression under Turkish law."
Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) is also calling for the new Penal Code to be amended. Under Article 305 of the Code, opinions and statements about Cyprus or Armenia could be considered "threats against fundamental national interests," a provision the European Parliament has said is incompatible with the 1950 Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. The Code also contains a provision (Article 127) under which the crime of insult can be punishable by up to three years in prison.
RSF says that while Turkey has made genuine progress in reforming its laws, the climate continues to remain harsh for journalists who are outspoken. Turkish courts impose prison sentences and exorbitant fines that encourage self-censorship, while television and radio stations remain subject to "brazen censorship," the organisation notes.
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), a regional affiliate of the International Federation of Journalists, has expressed concerns that journalists in Turkey do not enjoy the right to collectively organise within unions. The group warns that a proposed Trade Unions Law could "deprive journalists of their right to organise independently in defence of their specific rights."
Despite these concerns, Human Rights Watch says the EU accession process has helped bring about significant human rights improvements in Turkey and strengthened the efforts of reform advocates. The EU's decision to start formal accession talks with Turkey follows an October 2004 evaluation by the European Commission, which concluded that "Turkey sufficiently fulfils the political criteria" to begin negotiations.
For more information, visit:
- IPA/PEN Report:
http://www.ipa-uie.org/PressRelease/171204/COMMENTS.htm
- RSF: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=12096
- EFJ:
http://www.ifj-europe.org/default.asp?Index=2860&Language=EN
- Human Rights Watch Report: http://hrw.org/english/docs/2004/12/15/turkey9865.htm
- Freedom House Backgrounder: http://www.freedomhouse.org/media/pressrel/121504.htm
- BBC Analysis of EU Agreement with Turkey:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4108463.stm
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