This written declaration does not reflect the position of the Assembly; only of those members that have signed it. It will not be considered further by the Assembly.
The Criminal Code and the Anti-Terrorism Act continue to seriously
impede freedom of expression in Turkey. The provisions of these
pieces of legislation have been applied to disproportionately limit
freedom of expression, including that of journalists, broadcasters
and publishers. The amendments adopted so far by Turkey have not
been sufficient to deal with the root causes of violations of the
right to freedom of expression found by the European Court of Human
Rights. We express our particular concern about the use of civil
and criminal defamation provisions and invite public figures to
refrain from initiating defamation proceedings which have serious
effects on media freedom.
We consider that the Turkish authorities should urgently review
the Internet and Radio and Television Acts and in particular recognize
that systematic Internet censorship and the blocking of websites
by competent administrative authorities are beyond what is necessary
in democratic societies.
Recalling notably the murder of Hrant Dink, advocate of the
freedom of expression, we urge the authorities to step up efforts
to effectively protect journalists from violence and intimidation.
We are concerned about the continuous denial of the Genocide
of Armenians, Greeks, and Assyrians (Syriacs) by the Turkish authorities
and the use of Article 301 of the Criminal Code for criminal persecution
of journalists and writers.
We strongly condemn the continuous violations of their international
obligations by the authorities of Turkey.
