(IPA/WiPC/IFEX) – The following is a 16 December 2004 joint IPA and International PEN press release: New Turkish Penal Code Threatens Freedom of Expression Publishers and Writers Alarm EU on New Turkish Penal Code and suggest immediate ways to improve its content Late last week, the International Publishers’ Association (IPA) and International PEN urged Jan […]
(IPA/WiPC/IFEX) – The following is a 16 December 2004 joint IPA and International PEN press release:
New Turkish Penal Code Threatens Freedom of Expression
Publishers and Writers Alarm EU on New Turkish Penal Code and suggest immediate ways to improve its content
Late last week, the International Publishers’ Association (IPA) and International PEN urged Jan Peter Balkenende, current President of the EU Council, and José-Manuel Barroso, President of the EU Commission, to demand that their Turkish counterparts amend the New Turkish Penal Code, that continues to contain measures that threaten freedom of expression in Turkey, before it takes effect in April 2005.
To this effect, both organisations issued a joint guide entitled: “New Turkish Penal Code: A Long Way to Freedom of Expression”, a document that spells out a number of recommendations, which, if passed, would bring the New Turkish Penal Code closer to European freedom of expression standards.
Says Lars Grahn, Chairman of IPA’s Freedom to Publish Committee: “It is rather frightening that the New Turkish Penal Code provides virtually no progress on freedom of expression. Enshrined in the new Penal Code are a number of topics that remain taboo in Turkey such as the Cyprus issue and references to the Armenian Genocide. It is imperative that the EU takes action now to eliminate all remaining obstacles to freedom of expression under Turkish law.”
Karin Clark, Chair of the Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN, noted that her organisation is currently monitoring over 55 cases against writers and journalists before the courts charged for their writings: “On the one hand, the European Commission recommended the start of membership negotiations with Turkey in October this year. However, on the other hand, it recognized in its Annual Turkey Report, that the New Penal Code, adopted on 27 September 2004, provides only ‘limited progress on Freedom of Expression’. We are therefore confident that the Commission will be successful in bringing the New Turkish Penal Code closer to European standards”.
MORE ABOUT IPA AND INTERNATIONAL PEN:
IPA, established in Paris in 1896, represents the publishing industry worldwide through 78 national, regional and specialised publishers associations in 66 countries. International PEN was founded in 1921 in London. It is represented worldwide through 138 centres in over 100 countries. Both organisations are accredited Non-Governmental Organisations enjoying consultative status to the United Nations and seek to promote and defend the fundamental freedoms to publish, to read and to write, defending the rights of authors and publishers to create and distribute intellectual works in complete freedom.
