Brussels, 06/02/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 5 February, the secretary general of the Council of Europe, Thorbjorn Jagland, called on Turkey to take the necessary measures to bring its legislation on freedom of expression - including that of the media - into line with Council of Europe standards. He noted that protecting journalists and freedom of expression is also protecting democracy.
While underlining the progress already achieved, Jagland said that “what is needed is a complete overhaul of the anti-terrorism law as well as amendments to the Criminal Code”. “Politicians should accept that their words and actions are open to a higher degree of scrutiny by both journalists and the public at large”, Jagland continued. In his opinion, cases of defamation “can have a serious chilling effect on freedom of expression and the media”. “The need for action is evident”, he said. Jagland also said that the challenge is not only about changing laws but about raising the awareness of those who interpret these laws.
He recalled that there are 450 cases pending against Turkey in the field of freedom of expression. “This is simply too much”, he said at a conference in Ankara on the freedom of expression and of the media in Turkey. He added that some of these cases refer to the offence of “praising a crime or a criminal”, and “propaganda on behalf of a terrorist organisation”. (CG/transl.fl)