The parliament approved the amendments at the end of a lengthy debate late Tuesday by a vote of 250 in favour to 65 against.
The two main opposition parties in the parliament, the Republican People’s Party and the Nationalist Movement Party, both opposed the changes to article 301.
Previously, article 301 had covered the crime of “insulting Turkishness” or Turkish identity.
Under the amendments, the term “Turkishness” has been replaced by the term “Turkish nation,” and the term “Republic” is replaced with “State of the Republic of Turkey.”
Those found guilty of insulting the Turkish nation, state, parliament, legal bodies, government, military or police openly can be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of up to two years. Previously, the maximum prison term was three years.
Another amendment to the previous form of the article is that Turkey’s Justice Minister must approve any prosecution under the law.
