EU welcomes dropping of Pamuk charges

Turkey’s decision to drop criminal charges against author Orhan Pamuk was welcomed in Brussels on Monday.

The EU said the court’s decision to drop the case was "good news" for freedom of speech in Turkey.

The trial of the celebrated author had cast a shadow over Turkey’s drive to join the EU after it began membership talks in October.

"This is obviously good news for Pamuk, but it's also good news for freedom of expression in Turkey," EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn said in a statement on Monday.

The Pamuk trial was dropped after the justice ministry failed to give permission for it to go ahead.

And Rehn expressed hope that the decision would open the way for a "positive outcome" in similar cases in Turkey.

Speaking to a Swiss newspaper last year, Pamuk caused offence among Turkish nationalists when he said nobody dared mention the killing of a million Armenians during WW1.

Pamuk was charged under article 301 of a new penal code, which forbids insulting Turkish identity.

The EU has urged Turkey to amend the article which has allowed prosecutors to put scores of writers on trial for insulting "Turkishness."

And while EU officials may be pleased this damaging case has been set aside, doubts about Turkey’s commitment to reform still remain.

The Pamuk ruling will not be binding for other similar cases.

"Rule 301 of the constitution clearly gives rise to confusion. Further revision of this and other clauses looks necessary in order to ensure that all ambiguity about freedom of opinion, and expression of that opinion, is removed,” Liberal MEP Andrew Duff remarked on Monday.

“Similar cases against other intellectuals, notably Hrant Dink, should be dropped forthwith," he added.

• Previous article
• Next article