July 1, 2003	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 30, 1424

ANKARA, June 30: Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer on Monday vetoed a key reform aimed at drawing Ankara closer to the European Union, citing possible risks to the country’s unity.

The reform abolished an article on “propagating separatism,” a catch-all provision which has been widely used to jail writers and intellectuals advocating Kurdish rights.

Sezer said in a statement the move could pose security risks for the country which fought against a 15-year armed campaign by Kurdish rebels for self-rule in the mainly Kurdish southeast.

“There is a strong possibility that the lifting of the article could lead to major risks for the existence of the Turkish republic and the indivisible unity of the state,” the statement said.

The controversial reform had also been frowned upon by the powerful army on the grounds that it could play into the hands of Kurdish separatists and radicals, impeding the fight against “terrorism.”—AFP