Following a critical European Commission report on Turkey’s accession process to the EU earlier this month which highlighted Article 301 of the country’s penal code as contributing to a “climate of self-censorship in the country,” Turkish officials have announced that they will work towards amending the article before EU leaders meet for a 14-15 December summit meeting.

The article, which makes “insulting Turkishness” a crime, has been used against various writers and publishers in the country and many parts of Turkish civil society are also keen to get rid of it.

Turkey has also suspended military ties with France over the ridiculous law adopted by the French National Assembly (but still waiting for approval from the Senate) which makes it a crime to deny that Armenians suffered genocide by the Ottoman Turks.

Trackback this Post | Feed on comments to this Post