Erdogan Welcomes Shafak's Acquittal

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has welcomed the acquittal of renowned Turkish novelist Elif Shafak in the case for which she was accused of insulting Turkishness. PM Erdogan told reporters on Thursday that he was happy that Shafak was acquitted in the controversial case. Recalling that he phoned Shafak yesterday to congratulate her on the birth of her baby daughter, Erdogan stated that he exchanged his views with her on the case. Erdogan also signaled an amendment on the much debated Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, under which many well-known Turkish writers and authors had been tried or sued. In response to a question on whether the government thought of an amendment on the controversial article, Erdogan pointed out that it would be possible provided that the ruling and opposition parties reach an agreement, reported Zaman.