The case against best-selling writer Orhan Pamuk for insulting Turkish identity was dropped by Istanbul's Sisli court following a statement from the Justice Ministry, CNN Turk TV said on Sunday.
The Justice Ministry said in a statement sent to the Istanbul court trying Pamuk that it had no authority under the revised penal code to permit a case against the writer.
The court decided to drop the case following the statement from the ministry, CNN Turk said.
Pamuk was charged under Article 301 of the revised penal code for saying in a Swiss newspaper interview that no one dared discuss the massacre of a million Armenians 90 years ago and the deaths of 30,000 Kurds in the past two decades.
The European Union has criticized the case and said it raised concerns over Turkey’s commitment to European values.
Pamuk’s trial in Istanbul was adjourned shortly after it began on Dec. 16 to give the Justice Ministry time to decide how to proceed, effectively passing responsibility of the case to the government.