Turkey’s Bill to Amend Controversial Article 301 Sent to Parliament

by Hurriyet

The mandate to file a lawsuit under the controversial article of the Turkish Penal Code could be taken away from the president and given to the Justice Ministry, a Turkish minister said on Sunday.

The Turkish government, under pressure of the closure case against the ruling AKP, is set to give a new impetus to stalled EU reforms and plans to amend Article 301. The Turkish parliament is expected to start debates on the amendment proposal of the article this week. The speaker of parliament said on Monday he sent the proposal to the parliamentary commission.

Posted on: 04/14/08

EU Top Official Rejects Rule Against Majority

by Abdulhamit Bilici (Today's Zaman)

The European Union’s top official has maintained the union’s firm stance, which questions the validity of a closure case opened against Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) as well as his view that the issue of wearing a headscarf is a matter of individual freedom.

At the end of his three-day talks with Turkish officials, academics and representatives of nongovernmental organizations, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said on Saturday he observed that Turkey has the necessary dynamism and flexibility to overcome its existing problems.

Posted on: 04/14/08

Rice to Address U.S.- Turkish Panel on Ties, AKP Closure Case

by Ümit Enginsoy (Turkish Daily News)

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to elaborate Washington’s view over a legal closure case against Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) when she speaks at an annual conference of a top U.S.- Turkish business group… [this] week. …

In addition to Rice, National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, State Minister for the Economy Mehmet Şimşek, State Minister for Foreign Trade Kursad Tuzmen, U.S. congressmen, senior U.S. and Turkish military and defense officials, diplomats and business leaders will attend the American-Turkish Council’s conference, titled "U.S.-Turkey Relations: Regional Allies, Global Partners," which will be held Sunday through Wednesday.

Posted on: 04/14/08

Thousands Of Turks March In Anti-Government Rally

by Reuters

Thousands of secularist Turks rallied in Ankara on Saturday against the ruling AK Party, which is facing a high court challenge by a prosecutor who wants it shut down for alleged Islamist activities.

Demonstrators waving red Turkish flags and pictures of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, chanted slogans against the AK Party and the European Union, criticized by many Turks for perceived meddling in Turkey’s domestic politics.

Posted on: 04/14/08

Banning AKP is Greater Danger

“The threat posed by the policies of the AKP is clear and present. Concrete steps have been taken that may harm the civilized peace and the democratic regime in the country. … In this context, there is no other possibility than closing the party as the only sanction applicable and also required by the society in order to protect the society from this danger and to prevent [the AKP] from reaching its objective.”
–Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya, chief public prosecutor of the Turkish Supreme Court of Appeals, Indictment Against the Ruling AK Party, March 14, 2008

VS.

“I think the AK Party is not going to be closed down. But if it is, it’s going to create more problems than it’s going to solve. … Without the closure of the government party, Turkish democracy would still be there. … How can you talk about democracy when the party that has to vote is closed down and you can still claim to have a democracy? … We have seen party closures before. It’s true. We have not seen the closure of a government party.”
–Faruk Logoglu, former Turkish ambassador to the United States, panel discussion on “Turkey’s Kurdish Conundrum,” Center on the United States and Europe, Brookings Institution, March 20, 2008