The trial of Turan Topal and Hakan Tastan, Turkish Christian converts charged with "denigrating Islam and Turkishness" in October 2006, carries on, even though the prosecution has yet to offer any evidence.  Another delay was granted last week after two prosecution witnesses failed to appear.  The next hearing is set for 24 June.

The state prosecutor had called for the Christians’ acquittal last July, noting that the youthful plaintiffs in the case had given contradictory testimonies and no credible evidence had been produced to prove the charges. But the new judge assigned to the case in November accepted prosecution lawyer demands to call another dozen witnesses to testify.

“Of course our clients are distressed by this,” [defence lawyer Haydar] Polat told Compass, noting that the two Christians are being required to attend and hear the new prosecution witnesses, some of whom deliberately fail to appear in court. “All these extra witnesses are being called simply for the purpose of prolonging the case. There is no other purpose.”

The European Union has been adamant that Article 301, the law under which Topal and Tastan have been charged, must be changed if Turkey wishes to be admitted to the EU.  The government keeps promising to do so, but has yet to present actual legislation.

Turkey’s prime minister, justice minister and president have declared repeatedly over the past two years that amending the law was both needful and “high on their agenda.”

But last week AKP [Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party] deputy Nihat Ergun admitted that although a revised draft of Article 301 was completed, it had been shelved indefinitely.

In related news today, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has responded to recent allegations by the chief prosecutor that the AKP is determined to turn Turkey into an Islamic state governed by Sharia law.  He is considering a legal change that would remove much of the chief prosecutor’s power.

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