Written declaration No. 505 | Doc. 12849 | 25 January 2012

Call to draw attention to the persistent scourge of impunity in Turkey

Author(s): several Assembly members

Signatories: Ms Zaruhi POSTANJYAN, Armenia, EPP/CD ; Mr Miloš ALIGRUDIĆ, Serbia, EPP/CD ; Mr Josep Anton BARDINA PAU, Andorra, ALDE ; Mr Mikael CEDERBRATT, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Mr Corneliu CHISU, Canada ; Mr Georges COLOMBIER, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Agustín CONDE, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Nikolaos DENDIAS, Greece, EPP/CD ; Ms Ismeta DERVOZ, Bosnia and Herzegovina, EPP/CD ; Mr Consiglio DI NINO, Canada ; Mr Karl DONABAUER, Austria, EPP/CD ; Mr Gianni FARINA, Italy, SOC ; Mr Renato FARINA, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Axel E. FISCHER, Germany, EPP/CD ; Ms Ana GUŢU, Republic of Moldova, ALDE ; Mr Davit HARUTYUNYAN, Armenia, EDG ; Mr Stanisław HUSKOWSKI, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Birkir Jón JÓNSSON, Iceland, ALDE ; Ms Stella KYRIAKIDES, Cyprus, EPP/CD ; Mr George LOUKAIDES, Cyprus, UEL ; Ms Christine MARIN, France, EPP/CD ; Ms Muriel MARLAND-MILITELLO, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Edgar MAYER, Austria, EPP/CD ; Mr Michael McNAMARA, Ireland, SOC ; Sir Alan MEALE, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Hermine NAGHDALYAN, Armenia, ALDE ; Mr Pieter OMTZIGT, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Ms Nadia OTTAVIANI, San Marino, EPP/CD ; Mr Johannes PFLUG, Germany, SOC ; Ms Lisbeth Bech POULSEN, Denmark, UEL ; Mr François ROCHEBLOINE, France, EPP/CD ; Mr René ROUQUET, France, SOC ; Mr Armen RUSTAMYAN, Armenia, SOC ; Mr Leander SCHÄDLER, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD ; Ms Anne-Mari VIROLAINEN, Finland, EPP/CD ; Mr Karl ZELLER, Italy, EPP/CD ; Ms Naira ZOHRABYAN, Armenia, ALDE

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

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.