The European Commission is disappointed by the verdict regarding Olli Rehn, the European Union's Enlargement Commissioner, said. In his words the prison sentence imposed on writer Hrant Dink is not just a restriction of freedom of expression but may also set a binding case law for similar cases. Rehn described Dink's prison sentence for insulting Turkishness, which was recently finalized by a Court of Appeals ruling, as "disappointing." "That judgment is the first final one by the highest jurisdiction in Turkey about interpretation of Article 301 of the revised Turkish Penal Code. In this sense, it establishes a binding case law that will set the trend for lower jurisdictions to follow when applying Article 301 in the future," he said.

He also highlighted his worry that Turkish courts are not interpreting existing legislation in line with the relevant EU criteria. "I'd therefore urge the Turkish authorities to amend Article 301 and other vaguely formulated articles in order to guarantee freedom of expression in Turkey. I'd also like to recall that freedom of expression is a key principle under the Copenhagen political criteria and constitutes the core of democracy. In any case, the European Commission will review the situation in light of the Copenhagen criteria in its upcoming progress report, expected in the autumn," Olli Rehn said, the New Anatolian writes.