Turkish President Abdullah Gul said on Wednesday that Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) damages image of Turkey, adding that there is a will in Turkey to amend this article even though it was not expressed in EU Commission's Progress Report for Turkey.

Holding a press conference at Turkish Embassy in Baku, Gul said, upon questions of reporters, that Turkey's ongoing fight against terrorism will not affect the security of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline. Noting that international cooperation is necessary in fight against terrorism, Gul said that target of a possible cross-border military operation (of Turkey on Iraq) will only be the terrorist organization.

Regarding article 301, Gul said, "this article damages Turkey's image. Everybody (in foreign countries) thinks there is a ban on freedom of expression and thought. This is a big injustice against Turkey."

Upon a question about visa implementation among Turkish republics, Gul said that Turkey lifted visa procedures for Turkish republics, adding that he wishes visa procedures to be lifted in entire Turkish world. He added that there is a will for lifting visa procedures but it cannot be implemented rapidly due to some infrastructure deficiencies.

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Güncelleme Tarihi: 08 Kasım 2007, 10:52