Civic groups propose changes to law on insulting Turkishness

But some groups broke with the main umbrella organization and said the law need to be revoked, not amended.

Even Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener said that textual changes would not mean much in themselves.

Many in Turkey consider the law, known as Article 301, to be at the root of the murder of the Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink last month. According to this argument, his conviction under the article, for comments he made about the mass killings of Armenians by Turkish forces in the early 20th century, branded him a traitor in the eyes of many Turks and put his life in jeopardy.

For Turkey, the Armenian question is among the thorniest issues of free speech, since a characterization of the killings as genocide is often interpreted by the courts as an "insult against the Turkish state" under Article 301.

Late last year, following harsh EU criticism of Article 301, the government indicated that it was receptive to changes in the law, but not its abolition.

That was not enough for one civic group — the Turkish Chamber of Doctors — which broke with the umbrella group that made the proposal Thursday.

"Leading up to the general elections in November, the government has escaped from political responsibility on a controversial issue like Article 301 in fear of losing voters," said Gencay Gurun, the general secretary of the doctors' group. "Changes are only a facade and can never prevent bitter consequences, as we've witnessed with Mr. Dink's murder."

Signed by 10 civic organizations, the proposal aims to better distinguish between legal criticism and illegal insult. Instead of "insulting Turkishness" it the draft issued Thursday proposed new wording, of "openly abasing and deriding" the Turkish identity.

The umbrella group's spokesman, Davut Okutcu, said "we do not claim that this is the best version."

"We consider this draft as an encouragement to support better applications of law, which will ultimately be worded by Turkey's lawmakers," Okutcu said.

The next step is for the government to assess the proposal and decide on the exact wording it will propose to Parliament for changing the law. Political analysts say the government did not take the lead in order not to provoke the nationalists.

Perihan Magden, a columnist for the Radikal newspaper who was given private police protection following Dink's death, said the suggested changes were too mild to make a difference.

"The fact that I have to live in my own country under police protection shows the government acknowledgment that something's is wrong," said Magden, who was once charged under a separate law that penalizes those who discourage military service. "They can and they have to prevent this." The Associated Press

/The International Herald Tribune/