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| EU hails Turkey free speech move | EU hails Turkey free speech move |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| The EU has described a vote by the Turkish parliament to soften its controversial law limiting free speech as a "welcome step forward". | The EU has described a vote by the Turkish parliament to soften its controversial law limiting free speech as a "welcome step forward". |
| Under the law, intellectuals including Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk have been accused of "insulting Turkishness". | Under the law, intellectuals including Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk have been accused of "insulting Turkishness". |
| The EU had set reform of Article 301 of Turkey's penal code as a necessary move on the road to membership of the bloc. | The EU had set reform of Article 301 of Turkey's penal code as a necessary move on the road to membership of the bloc. |
| An EU spokesman said the EU now "looks forward to further moves to change similar articles in the penal code". | An EU spokesman said the EU now "looks forward to further moves to change similar articles in the penal code". |
| TURKISHNESS LAW REFORM Crime to insult the Turkish nation, rather than TurkishnessJustice minister required to open each caseMaximum sentence of two years in jail, rather than three Amadeu Altafaj Tardio told reporters that the article was "the main one" - but not the only one - that needed reform, to ensure an end to "ungrounded prosecutions". | TURKISHNESS LAW REFORM Crime to insult the Turkish nation, rather than TurkishnessJustice minister required to open each caseMaximum sentence of two years in jail, rather than three Amadeu Altafaj Tardio told reporters that the article was "the main one" - but not the only one - that needed reform, to ensure an end to "ungrounded prosecutions". |
| He said it was now time for the Turkish authorities to focus on guaranteeing "full freedom of expression for all Turkish citizens". | He said it was now time for the Turkish authorities to focus on guaranteeing "full freedom of expression for all Turkish citizens". |
| Since 2003, hundreds of people have been tried for "insulting Turkishness" and nationalists, as well as the main opposition, opposed any change to the law. | Since 2003, hundreds of people have been tried for "insulting Turkishness" and nationalists, as well as the main opposition, opposed any change to the law. |
| class="lp" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/default.stm">HAVE YOUR SAY It is obvious that the law needs to be reformed. The current constitution is based on a militarist frame of mind Diren Yardimli, Istanbul class="" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/7376127.stm">Readers reactArticle 301 was used against novelist Orhan Pamuk because of comments he wrote about the massacres of Armenians by the Ottomans in 1915-16. | |
| Armenian-Turkish editor Hrant Dink, who was shot dead last year, had been convicted under it. It was his murder by an ultra-nationalist that spurred the most recent pressure to reform the penal code. | Armenian-Turkish editor Hrant Dink, who was shot dead last year, had been convicted under it. It was his murder by an ultra-nationalist that spurred the most recent pressure to reform the penal code. |
| Insulting the Turkish nation - rather than "Turkishness" - will still be a crime, punishable by two years in jail. | Insulting the Turkish nation - rather than "Turkishness" - will still be a crime, punishable by two years in jail. |