Another Turkish writer persecuted for mentioning Armenian Genocide
Members of four factions in Dutch Parliament, namely the Christian Union, the CDA (Christian Democrats), the SGP (Political Reformed Party) and the VVD (Liberal Party) have submitted Written Questions to the Minister of Foreign Affairs about the permission of the Turkish Minister of Justice to prosecute Turkish writer Temel Demirer, because of his remarks on the Armenian Genocide the day after the assassination of the Armenian Turkish journalist Hrant Dink, the Federation of Armenian Organizations of the Netherlands (FAON) told PanARMENIAN.Net.
Written questions by the MP's Voordewind (Christian Union), Ormel (Christian Democrats), Van der Staaij (Political Reformed Party) and Van Baalen (Liberal Party) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on the permission to prosecute the Turkish writer are as follows:
1. Have you been notified of the news that the Turkish Minister of Justice has granted permission to prosecute writer Temel Demirer pursuant to Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code because of utterances on the Armenian Genocide?
2. In which cases has the Minister of Justice given permission to institute a criminal case by invoking this Article after it had been amended under the EU pressure?
3. Which conclusion do you draw from this situation also considering the background of the answers to the earlier written questions on the condemnation of a Turkish writer due to publication of a book on the Armenian Genocide (nr. 3045), where you asserted that you could not at the time evaluate the effect of the amendment of Article 301 properly? Doesn't this make clear that the amendment of Article 301 has, neither in material nor procedural sense, produced the intended result and that the further amendment of the Turkish Penal Code is necessary? If not, why?
4. Which measures are you going to take, bilaterally as well as in EU connection in order to make it clear to the Turkish government that the continuing violation of the freedom of expression is unacceptable?
Written questions by the MP's Voordewind (Christian Union), Ormel (Christian Democrats), Van der Staaij (Political Reformed Party) and Van Baalen (Liberal Party) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on the permission to prosecute the Turkish writer are as follows:
1. Have you been notified of the news that the Turkish Minister of Justice has granted permission to prosecute writer Temel Demirer pursuant to Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code because of utterances on the Armenian Genocide?
2. In which cases has the Minister of Justice given permission to institute a criminal case by invoking this Article after it had been amended under the EU pressure?
3. Which conclusion do you draw from this situation also considering the background of the answers to the earlier written questions on the condemnation of a Turkish writer due to publication of a book on the Armenian Genocide (nr. 3045), where you asserted that you could not at the time evaluate the effect of the amendment of Article 301 properly? Doesn't this make clear that the amendment of Article 301 has, neither in material nor procedural sense, produced the intended result and that the further amendment of the Turkish Penal Code is necessary? If not, why?
4. Which measures are you going to take, bilaterally as well as in EU connection in order to make it clear to the Turkish government that the continuing violation of the freedom of expression is unacceptable?
