EU increases pressure on Turkey over opposition leader's arrest

The Committee of Ministers of the European Council has issued a statement demanding that Turkey revoke the 14-month prison sentence for Dogu Perincek, the chairman of the Turkish Labour Party, and that the
judgement be reviewed, Turkish newspaper Milliyet reports.

The Committee noted that the prison sentence was given due to Mr. Perincek's words on a programme broadcast on TRT (Turkish official television) before the 1991 elections.

The statement stressed that these words had caused the banning of the Socialist Party under Mr. Perincek's leadership, and Turkey has already been found guilty for this banning order by the European Court of Human Rights.