ANKARA - The law on amendment to several laws, publicly known as the seventh European Union (EU) adjustment package was issued in the Official Gazette and entered into force on Thursday.
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.''
Below are other new arrangements foreseen in the seventh EU adjustment law:
-Immoral publications which hurt people's feelings or provoke and exploit their sexual desires won't be destroyed, and they will be only confiscated.
-Investigation into crime of ''torture'' will be considered prior case. 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.
-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.
-The Supreme Council of Public Accounts can also supervise assets of the Armed Forces upon the demand of the Office of Parliament Speaker.
-The age limit in trial in juvenile courts is increased from 15 to 18.
-Rights to establish societies have been broadened. Legal bodies can also establish associations. Those who want to quit their membership to a society will have to inform the society six months before.
-Demonstrations and protests marches can only be delayed for 10 days instead of 30 days.
-Special courses can be opened under the provisions of the Law on Private Education Institutions for teaching of different languages and dialects used traditionally by Turkish citizens.
-NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL-
Under the law which re-defines the duties of the National Security Council (NSC), the NSC will convene once in two months. The Council can meet upon the proposal of the prime minister or directly upon the call of the president when necessary.
A civilian can be appointed as the NSC Secretary General under the law. The Secretary General will be appointed upon proposal of the prime minister and consent of the president. If the appointment in question is envisaged to be made among the Turkish Armed Forces staff, positive opinion of the General Staff Chief is taken.
-FOUNDATIONS-
Foundations formed in Turkey can be a member of foundations and organizations formed outside Turkey under the permission of the Interior Ministry and positive opinion of the Foreign Ministry in case cooperation of the foundations are considered beneficial.
-ANTI-TERRORISM LAW-
The seventh EU adjustment law added crime of ''inciting violence'' to the second paragraph of the seventh article of the Anti-Terrorism Law.
In accordance with this addition, 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).
(BRC-AÖ) 07.08.2003