Would Danish court have made a similar verdict if Al Qaeda financed Roj TV, Bagis asks Danish ambassador in Vilnius

VILNIUS (A.A) - January 12, 2012 - Turkish Minister for European Union (EU) Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis delivered a speech on Thursday at the Lithuanian Parliamentary European Information Office in Vilnius. In response to the Danish Ambassador in Vilnius Jorgen Molde's remarks in support of a Danish court verdict that was made on Tuesday on Roj TV, Egemen Bagis asked the ambassador "would the Danish court have made a similar verdict if Al Qaeda financed Roj TV?". The Danish court fined Roj TV a monetary fine for making propaganda of the terrorist organization PKK and having ties with this terrorist network. However, the court refused to permanently shut down Roj TV based on Danish laws. Turkey has long been accusing Roj TV for making propaganda of the terrorist organization PKK and making programs in support of PKK. PKK has been recognized as a terrorist organization by the European Union (EU), the United States and Turkey. We find it extremely hard to understand why the voice of a terrorist organization can not be silenced in Denmark, Bagis stressed. Touching on the reform process in Turkey, Bagis said that the reform process in Turkey worked rapidly as it never did before in Turkey. Thanks to the reforms, Turkey has become a more democratic, prosperous, and transparent country with a growing self-confidence, Bagis underlined. Certain leaders use Turkey's EU process in their internal politics. Such politics may prevent Turkish membership in the near future. However, Turkey will overcome such obstacles in the long run, Bagis said. With its reform process, Turkey has been a source of inspiration for millions of people going through the Arab Spring. When they look at Turkey with similar traditions, similar geography, and similar beliefs, they also notice that Turkey is different with its opposition, free media, and market economy. They say to themselves that 'if Turkey could do it so can we'. Blocking Turkey's EU process and stopping the reforms would disappoint millions in the countries going through the Arab Spring and demotivate them, Bagis emphasized. Criticizing the Danish court's verdict of Tuesday on Roj TV, Bagis said that Turkey found it hard to understand how a terrorist organization's voice (Roj TV) can not be permanently silenced. When the Danish Ambassador in Vilnius, Jorgen Molde, told Bagis that the Danish court fined Roj TV a monetary penalty and that the court did not have the authority to shut down a TV station, Bagis in return asked why a litigation was filed against Roj TV at the court for the closure of the TV station as it was known beforehand that the court could not shut down a TV station. Bagis asked the Danish Ambassador if a similar verdict would have been made if it was Al Qaeda with ties to Roj TV. "Yes", the Danish Ambassador replied to the second question. Bagis thanked the Danish Ambassador for an "honest" reply.