An Ankara prosecutor who argues that the Armenia apology petition campaign launched late last year is not illegal has asked the Justice Ministry to issue a written directive to that effect, Hurriyet Daily News reports. The "I apologize" campaign was launched Dec. 15. Though it has drawn harsh criticism within Turkey, approximately 29,000 people, including many intellectuals and journalists, have signed the petition, which reads in part: "My conscience does not accept the insensitivity showed to and the denial of the Great Catastrophe that the Armenians were subjected to in 1915."

A complaint was lodged against the organizers of the petition campaign. After a preliminary inquiry, Ankara Prosecutor Nadi Türkaslan said the petition is protected as a freedom of expression and thus the organizers could not be prosecuted.

On March 3, a court overturned the prosecutor's finding, saying that criminal proceedings could be initiated against the organizers. The decision allows prosecutors to seek the permission of Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Şahin to launch an investigation.

Charges made against the organizers will be based on penal code Article 301, which criminalizes insulting Turkishness and also requires ministerial approval to start any proceedings. Prosecutor Türkaslan, in a letter to the Justice Ministry, called for a directive to annul the ruling and asked that the case be sent to the Supreme Court of Appeals.