WRITTEN QUESTION E-0791/02 by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE)and Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Banning of a film in Turkey.
Date: 2002-03-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU relations, Türkiye, accession criteria, accession to the European Union, censorship, film production, freedom of expression, minority language

C 28 E/52

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2003

Council Directive 94/33/EC is applicable in all Member States since 22 June 1996.

The situation referred to is not covered by the above-mentioned Directive nor is there any other
Community legal text dealing with the issue. There is therefore no new development at Community level
justifying, as of March 2002, the increase in delivery charges referred to by the Honourable Member.

(1) Council Directive 94/33/EC of 22 June 1994 on the protection of young people at work, OJ L 216, 20.8.1994.

(2003/C 28 E/056)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0791/02

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE)
and Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 March 2002)

Subject: Banning of a film in Turkey

The Associated Press reports from Ankara that the Turkish authorities have banned the screening of a
Turkish film entitled ‘Big Man, Small Love’ because it contains dialogue in Kurdish. The film was in fact
partly funded by the Turkish Ministry for Culture, which issued the order not to show the film in cinemas
because it considered that there was a problem with the inclusion of dialogue in Kurdish, despite the fact
that Turkish subtitles were shown.

Is such a measure consistent with Turkey’s conforming to standards of conduct befitting a European state?
What action has the Commission taken in the past when violations of intellectual freedom and gross
infringements of democratic freedoms in Turkey came to light? In how many cases did Turkey rectify the
situation and which cases were those? What instructions does the Commission’s delegation in Ankara
follow when it discovers violations of the human rights and cultural identity of the minorities living in
Turkey?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(29 April 2002)

The film ‘Big Man Small Love’ was banned in March 2002 by the Cinema, Video and Musical Works
Supervision Board, following a report from the police alleging incitement to ‘chauvinism, separatism in
relation to the ’so called’ Kurdish language’. Apparently, the police was offended by a scene in the film of a
bloody police raid on a Kurdish house. The ban is clearly not in line with the principles of freedom of
expression under the Copenhagen political criteria.

In the context of the political dialogue under the pre-accession strategy with Turkey, the Union regularly
raises matters of concern relating to the political criteria. It discusses general developments including
reforms but also individual cases. Moreover, the Commission reports on developments and progress in
fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria in its Regular Report. The last report was published in November 2001
and the next one is due in October 2002.

The Commission Representation in Turkey has the task of monitoring the political and other developments
in Turkey. In this context, it has established wide-ranging contacts in Turkey including with representatives
of public authorities, the private sector, non governmental organisations. The Commission is part of the
political dialogue mentioned above. In some cases it attends individual court cases in the field of human
rights in Turkey.