News Statement

The EU has been urged to consider suspending membership talks with Turkey until Turkey stop seeking to place journalists and writers on trial in freedom of expression cases.

Britain's former Europe Minister, Dr Denis MacShane MP, has asked the EU Commissioner for enlargement, Olie Rehn, to consider whether it is worthwhile going on with EU membership negotiations in the light of the decision by the Turkish authorities to file charges against five respected Turkish newspaper columnists who wrote articles supporting an academic conference in September held to discuss the 1915 massacre of Armenians.

The newsmen have been charged under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code which makes it a crime to insult Turkishness or Turkish courts.

"The interpretation Turkish prosectuors are placing on Article 301 is wholly incompatible with membership of the European Union and in violation of all norms of European rights to freedom of expression," said MacShane.

"These decisions make open mockery of the sincere efforts by the EU to begin membership negotiations. Prosecutors are part of the Turkish state and Prime Minister Erdogan must now decide who speaks for Turkey internationally - the elected government or a handful of state prosecutors who want to create a new censorship in Turkey. EU Commissioner Ollie Rehn now needs to make clear that there is little point putting energy into continuing with EU membership talks until Turkey stops the prosecutions of more than 60 writers and journalists under Article 301 of the Penal Code," added MacShane.

The British politician plans to be in Istanbul later this month for the trial of the Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk who faces charges under Article 301.