Det danske Fredsakademi
Kronologi over fredssagen og international politik 20. januar 2007 / Time Line January 20, 2007
Version 3.519. Januar 2007, 21. Januar 2007
01/20/2007
TURKEY KILLS HRANT DINK
EUROPEAN ARMENIAN FEDERATION for Justice and Democracy
Hrant Dink, the editor-in-chief of the bilingual Armenian and
Turkish weekly Agos, has been assassinated this afternoon in front
of his office in Istanbul. The circumstances of the crime are still
not clear, but reportedly one person, at least, is involved. Mr
Dink has been shot at six times.
Hrant Dink had repeatedly criticized Turkey for its treatment of
its ethnic minorities and the outright denial of freedom of speech.
He was considered in Western countries as a champion of the cause
of modernisation of present-day Turkey.
“We condemned this hateful assassination” declared
Hilda Tchoboian, the chairperson of the European Armenian
Federation.
In a country where the system of education and the political
culture moulds the minds of the people with hatred towards the
Non-Turkish citizens of the country and where racism is rampant
with extreme-right organizations occupying a place of honour, this
is a sad reminder that things are far from changing in
today’s Turkey. This vile murder proves once again that
racism has deep roots in Turkey”, declared Hilda
Tchoboian.
The Federation notes that, among a dozen dissidents to the Turkish
State line, it is precisely the one with an Armenian origin who was
targeted by the murderers. The Federation asserts that the Turkish
State has an undeniable responsibility for this murder by the mere
fact of having perpetuated articles 301 and 305 of the Turkish
Penal Code. The Federation also condemns the Turkish authorities
for their incapacity in providing adequate security for journalists
and intellectuals.
“This deliberate act aims at maintaining the Armenian
community in a climate of terror in order to show them that freedom
of expression can have no place in Turkey, especially concerning
the Armenian genocide, and that the community should not overstep
its limits”, added Hilda Tchoboian.
“We also say that any attempt by the Turkish government of
capitalizing on Hrant Dink’s assassination to promote a
liberal image in Europe through public sympathizing would be the
height of cynicism. The Turkish authorities would be well advised
to refrain from such cheap opportunism which would have no currency
whatsoever in Europe”, concluded Hilda Tchoboian.
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