Turkey Faces 'Big Test' on Orhan Pamuk Case

By Cihan News Agency
Published: Thursday, December 15, 2005
zaman.com

Turkey-European Union Joint Parliamentary Commission Co-chair Joost Lagendijk has claimed Turkey will face a "big test" in the Orhan Pamuk case.

Freedom of speech was a condition for EU membership, MP of the EU parliament Greens Group Lagendijk said in a statement, and that authors and journalists should not face such treatment in Turkey.

Internationally-famous Pamuk will appear before court on December 16 on charges of "denigration of Turkishness".

The judge would drop the charges against Pamuk after the first hearing, Lagendijk anticipated.