PanARMENIAN.Net

Hrant Dink Latest Casualty in Troubled Historical
Record of Turkish-Armenian Relations
19.01.2007 19:33 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The tragic assassination of Hrant
Dink in Istanbul represents a sad reminder of the
difficulty for some in Turkey to come to terms with
both the past, in terms of Genocide, as well as the
present, and to see the need for Turkey to improve its
relations with Armenia, Richard Giragosian, expert of
the Armenian International Police Research Group told
a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. `Hrant Dink is the latest
casualty in the troubled historical record of
Turkish-Armenian relations and his example stands as
an inspiration to all those in both Armenia and Turkey
who advocate a new page in bilateral relations. His
death will now challenge the Turkish authorities to
both come to terms with their own internal changes now
underway, but also to force the Turkish authorities to
move strongly to prevent such anti-Armenian violence,
which is unacceptable for any modern country. While
Armenians worldwide will grieve, others in Turkey must
see his death as a lesson that the days of violence
have long past and that Turkey’s future depends as
much on its recognition of the Armenian Genocide as it
depends on a Turkey committed to democracy and human
rights. Both the European Union, as well as the United
States, should move quickly to condemn such killing
and must now recognize the need for a breakthrough in
Armenian-Turkish relations, including Ankara extending
full and normal diplomatic relations and an end to the
failed blockade of Armenia by both Turkey and
Azerbaijan,’ he said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress