ANKARA - Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said on Wednesday that Turkey took an important step on the way to EU by the adoption of the seventh adjustment package.
Cicek thanked the deputies of the government and the opposition party for adoption of the seventh adjustment package.
''This law is an important step for more qualified democracy and a more free society. All of us know that all the developed countries of the world have also high democracy standards. While making this regulation, our target is to reach the modern age and to take part among the first league of countries in respect of rights and freedoms. There is no need to feel concern about our country, nation and the state due to these laws. Rather than seeing these amendments and the content of them as concessions given for EU membership, we should regard them as regulations needed by Turkey to find lasting solutions to its problems,'' Cicek said.
Cicek stated that one of the important missions of the parliament was not only to make amendment in laws, but it was also to prepare a modern constitution. ''I hope we can prepare a new modern constitution which meets the needs of the age in the new legislative year,'' he added.
Opposition party CHP Deputy group chairman Mustafa Ozyurek said after the adoption of the law that CHP supported the EU adjustment studies, adding that they didn't support just for EU membership, but for Turkish people.
''Practice is not as easy as adopting laws. The issue of mother tongue is discussed for years. The government should not let this issue be only discussed, who ever wants to set up tv channel and broadcast, he/she should do it. Who ever wants to set up a private school to teach mother language, he/she should do it. We should not consider these things as dangerous. There are persons who want to learn these languages...Let's save these courses from police raids,'' he commented

PARLIAMENT ADOPTS SEVENTH EU ADJUSTMENT PACKAGE
The Parliamentary General Assembly adopted on Wednesday the bill on amendment to several laws, publicly known as the ''Seventh European Union (EU) adjustment package.''
The law foresees amendment to Turkish Penal Code (TCK) to broaden the scope of freedom of thought and expression.
Accordingly, the punishment of crimes of insult against moral personality of the state and state officials is reduced from one year to six months.
Under the law, the Article 159 of the TCK is changed as ''expressions of thought with the purpose of criticism which do not include any deliberate words of insult and swearwords do not necessitate punishment.''
The law also amends the TCK's Article 169 on the crime of ''aiding and abetting terrorist organization''.

-END OF DESTRUCTION OF PUBLICATIONS-

A paragraph saying, ''works of art and science and works which have literary value are excluded from the content of this article'' is added to the TCK's Article 426 on the ''immoral publication and publication against morals and moral principles''.
Under another change in the TCK's Article 427, immoral publications which hurt people's feelings or provoke and exploit their sexual desires won't be destroyed, and they will be only confiscated.

-TORTURE CASES CAN ALSO BE DEBATED DURING JUDICIAL RECESS-
Investigation into crime of ''torture'' is considered prior case by an article added to the Code of Criminal Procedure (CMUK).
In accordance with this addition, investigations into crimes of torture and maltreatment which are mentioned in the TCK's articles 243 and 245 will be considered urgent cases and debated priorly and urgently. Hearings of the trials regarding these crimes can't be adjourned for more than thirty days unless there is an obligatory situation and those hearings will be held also during the judicial recess.

-CRIMES DURING PEACETIME-

The law adds a paragraph saying, ''if the crimes that are mentioned in Article 58 of the Military Penal Code are committed by people who are not members of the army during time of peace, cases of these crimes are not heard at military courts'' to Article 11 of the Law on Establishment of Military Courts and Trial Regulations.
Under this, people who are not members of the army are tried at civil courts if they commit crimes of ''inciting soldiers against the laws'' and ''inciting people against the soldiers'' during peacetime.

-AUTHORITY OF PARLIAMENT TO SUPERVISE BUDGET STRENGTHENED-

Under an article added to the Supreme Council of Public Accounts Law, the authority of the parliament to control and supervise the budget is strengthened.
The Supreme Council of Public Accounts can supervise accounts and transactions of every institution, organization, fund, enterprise, company, cooperative, union, foundation and association upon the demand of the Office of Parliament Speaker.
The supervision of the assets of Armed Forces will be made in line with the principle of secrecy required by the national defense services.
The Presidency is excluded from scope of this article.

-AGE LIMIT IN JUVENILE COURTS-

The law made an amendment to first paragraph of the Article 6 of the Law on Formation, Duties and Trial Methods of Juvenile Courts.
In accordance with this amendment, the age limit in juvenile courts is increased from 15 to 18.
The amendment says, ''cases regarding crimes committed by children younger than 18 and debated by general courts are debated by juvenile courts.''

-LAW ON DEMONSTRATION AND PROTEST MARCHES-

The law foresees amendment to the Law on Demonstration and Protest Marches. In accordance with this amendment, demonstrations and protest marches can be postponed only for ten days instead of 30 days if necessary.
A demonstration held to protect principles of the Republic, the inseparable integrity of the country and nation, general ethics and health can only be postponed for one month.

-TEACHING OF LANGUAGES AND DIALECTS-

The law also foresees amendments to Article 2-a and 2-b of the Law on learning and teaching of foreign languages and learning of different languages and dialects used traditionally by Turkish citizens.
According to the amendment in Article 2/a ''no language other than Turkish can be taught to Turkish citizens in schools as their mother language. However, special courses can be opened for learning of different languages and dialects which are traditionally used by Turkish citizens in their daily lives. No teaching which are against the principles of the state and invisible integrity of the state with its country and nation is permitted in those courses and lessons. National Education Ministry will adopt regulations for opening and supervision of such courses and lessons.''
''Article 2/c notes that foreign languages to be taught in Turkey are determined by the decision of the Council of Ministers.''

-DUTIES OF NSC SECRETARY GENERAL-

The law gathers duties and authorities of the NSC Secretariat General under a single article. Under the law, the NSC Secretariat General's duties and authorities are summarized in two paragraphs under a single article as ''a) the Secretariat General fulfils secretariat services of the NSC; and b) the Secretariat General fulfils the duties entrusted by the NSC and laws.''

-APPOINTMENT OF NSC SECRETARY GENERAL-

According to the law, NSC Secretary General is appointed upon proposal of the Prime Minister and approval of the President; and if the appointment in question is envisaged to be made among the Turkish Armed Forces staff, positive opinion of the General Staff Chief is sought.
Under the current law, the NSC Secretary General is appointed among the armed forces personnel having the Vice-General or Vice-Admiral rank upon the Council of Minister's decision under the General Staff Chief's recommendation and the Prime Minister's proposal.
Regulations about implementation is envisaged to be adopted within three months after the amendment to the NSC Law.

-INCITING VIOLENCE-

The law amends the second paragraph of the seventh article of the Anti-Terrorism Law.
Those who aid and abet members of the terrorist organization or make propaganda in a way to insult violence or terror acts will be sentenced to imprisonment from one to five years and fined 500 million to 1 billion Turkish liras (TL).

-ABOLISHED ARTICLES-

The law abolishes the ninth, 14th and 19th articles of the Law on National Security Council (NSC) and NSC Secretariat General.
The ninth article of NSC Law regulates distribution and pursuit of the decisions of the Council of Ministers on NSC decisions by the NSC Secretariat General. The mentioned provision aims to ''give authority to concerned units to distribute and follow these decisions.''
The Article 14 of the same law is abolished in line with an amendment to article 13 regulating duties and authorities of the NSC Secretariat General.
The article 19 of the law which is also abolished says, ''the ministries, state institutions and organizations and legal bodies should give the demanded secret information and documents to the NSC Secretariat General.''

(BRC) 30.07.2003