Associated Press Worldstream
Oct 7 2005

Armenian-Turkish journalist convicted, sentenced for remarks
insulting Turks

An Istanbul court on Friday convicted an Armenian-Turkish journalist
of making remarks insulting to Turks in an article he wrote last
year, the journalist said.

Hrant Dink, a Turkish citizen and editor of the bilingual
Armenian-Turkish newspaper Agos, was convicted under a clause in the
Turkish penal code that makes it a crime to insult the Turkish
national character.

Dink said he was given a six-month suspended sentence, which means he
will not serve prison time unless he repeats the offense.

In a series of articles written in 2004, Dink urged Armenians in the
diaspora to get rid of the “poisoning effect” of their history in
Turkey and focus on the welfare of Armenia, said Karin Karakasli, an
editor at the newspaper. She said the court took the article out of
context, saying it meant that Turkish blood is poison.

The European Union has asked Turkey to change its law making it a
crime to insult the national identity or risk endangering its EU bid.

Turkey officially opened EU membership negotiations early Tuesday,
but its bid is opposed by a majority of Europeans.