EU welcomes Turkey's move to amend controversial law

The European Union has been calling on Turkey to amend Article 301, which has been the basis for charges against Turkish writers and journalists including Hrant Dink, Elif Safak, and Orhan Pamuk. The provision makes denigrating the Turkish identity or insulting the country’s institutions a crime punishable by up to three years in prison.Â

The diplomats considered the requirement of seeking the president’s approval for filing lawsuit or opening an investigation as a "very important and interesting" development. The EU diplomats told the Turkish ANKA news agency the proposal will be investigated in detail, adding the direction is good.,

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told in his party meeting on Tuesday the bill will be debated in Parliament and is expected to be approved next week.

The ruling AKP submitted its proposal, which requires the president’s approval for filing a lawsuit or opening an investigation under Article 301,  to Parliament on Monday.

Under the proposed amendment, denigrating the Turkish identity is replaced with denigrating the "Turkish nation" in an effort to eliminate the elusive definition of Turkish identity. It also replaces the word "Republic," with the "Rebuplic of Turkish State," in a similar context.