Strasbourg / Brussels, 15/12/2005 (Agence Europe) - MEP Andrew Duff (ALDE, British) has been appointed by Parliament to observe the trial of the celebrated Turkish writer, Orhan Pamuk. The trial is to begin on 16 December in Istanbul. Mr Duff, who is in favour of Turkey joining the EU, says in a press release that it is “scandalous that the Turkish judicial system can still even contemplate imprisoning someone for their freedom of opinion”. Mr Duff recalls that Mr Pamuk has been accused in accordance with a law (Article 301 of the Penal Code) that was recently revised in the context of reforms undertaken by Ankara in order to be able to enter into membership talks with the EU.
In a declaration, Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn asserts that the trial is to the detriment of Turkey's membership negotiations with the EU, and that the trial is not in fact that of the writer but rather of Turkey itself, as it will be an essential test for verifying whether Turkey is seriously committed to freedom of expression and whether it complies with the Copenhagen political criteria. “This is an opportunity to set a positive precedent for the numerous other cases on free speech that are awaiting trial”, the Commissioner told the Turkish authorities. In his view, it is clear that the new Penal Code does not sufficiently protect freedom of expression. Mr Rehn therefore expects the judges to interpret Article 301 of the new Penal Code in a way that is fully in line with the European Convention of Human Rights, and the government to close the loopholes in the Code itself that allow such restrictive interpretations on freedom of expression.