Bozdağ rebukes Venice Commission's report on presidency

Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ said that the Venice Commission's report that recommends that Turkey get rid of the crimes of "insulting the president" and "degrading the Turkish nation, state and its organs and institutions is "unacceptable." Speaking in the central Anatolian province of Yozgat over the weekend, Bozdağ said: "The Venice Commission report is unacceptable. The report apparently aims to bring the presidency into disrepute. The European Union has been an instrument of such biased provisions, such as the latest one."

According to the Venice Commission report, the only solution to avoid further violations of freedom of expression with regard to Turkish Penal Code Article 299 on insulting the president is to completely repeal the article and ensure that application of the general provision on insults is consistent with these criteria. It also recommended a change to Article 301 on degrading the state and the nation. "It is recommended that the provision be redrafted and further amended with the aim of making all notions used in it clear and specific. Further, the application of this provision should be limited to statements inciting violence and hatred," a March 15 report from the commission said.

Touching on the Belgian government allowing PKK supporters to pitch tents before the Turkey-EU summit in Brussels, Bozdağ criticized Belgium for not having certain principles in the fight against terrorism. "The PKK is a terrorist organization as brutal as DAESH terrorists. We are calling on our European allies to not have double standards on the terror issue," Bozdağ said.