Armenian Assembly of America
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Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
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MEDIA ALERT
January 31, 2007
CONTACT: Karoon Panosyan
Email: kpanosyan@aaainc.org
Armenian Assembly Urges President Bush to Honor the Memory of Hrant Dink
Washington, DC – In a letter to President Bush last week, the Armenian
Assembly strongly condemned the assassination of Hrant Dink, and called
upon the Administration to urge Ankara to address the prevailing climate
of intolerance, prejudice and repression in the country, which
precipitated this crime. The letter from Board of Trustees Chairman
Hirair Hovnanian further stated that we must act to ensure that
minorities at risk in Turkey are afforded every protection. Hovnanian’s
letter also called upon the Administration to support a congressional
resolution honoring the memory of Hrant Dink and deploring his
assassination.
The Armenian Assembly is the largest Washington-based nationwide
organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian
issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
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NR#2007-019
Below is the full text of the Assembly’s letter to President Bush.
January 26, 2007
President George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, DC
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Armenian Assembly of America, I am writing to convey
our profound shock and grief for the brutal murder of Hrant Dink, the
courageous editor and human rights advocate assassinated in Istanbul,
Turkey on January 19, 2007. I also write to express our deepest concern
with Turkey’s continued failure to adopt standards and practices of both
domestic and international conduct that would reverse and overturn the
prevailing climate of intolerance, prejudice and repression in the
country, which precipitated this crime.
Mr. Dink was assassinated for his political and civic views, and for the
courage to express them openly. As a citizen and journalist, he
championed the cause of democracy and freedom in Turkey. As a prominent
member of Turkey’s Armenian community, he worked to build bridges
between the two peoples and the two neighboring countries of Armenia and
Turkey through tolerance, goodwill, and dialogue.
Mr. Dink’s murder was an attempt to intimidate and silence the growing
momentum in Turkey toward greater respect for human rights and freedoms.
One of 18 journalists killed in Turkey in the last several years, and
one of the dozen, including the 2006 Nobel Prize laureate in literature
Orhan Pamuk, to be charged and prosecuted under Article 301 of the
Turkish Penal Code restricting the freedom of expression, Mr. Dink was
serving a suspended sentence, and was fighting another legal battle in
the Court of Appeals for having spoken publicly about the Armenian
Genocide. He had received numerous threats and needed the protection of
his country’s authorities. He instead was stigmatized and prosecuted.
In your State of the Union addresses you have consistently placed great
emphasis on freedom. Hrant Dink embodied this ideal, which was violently
extinguished. We must act boldly in freedom’s cause and as you have
indicated "challenge the enemies of reform, confront the allies of
terror, and expect a higher standard from our friends." If the "advance
of freedom" is truly "the great story of our time" and America "will
lead the cause of freedom," then in line with this vision, we must take
action to ensure that minorities at risk in Turkey are afforded every
protection.
The murder of Hrant Dink challenges America and the rest of the
civilized world to stand up against political violence, and the
atmosphere that fosters it. Full and impartial investigation of this
crime will be important, but not sufficient. It must be followed by the
repeal of Article 301 from Turkey’s Penal Code, and a good faith effort
by the Turkish state toward full compliance with its obligations under
the EU negotiating framework, as regards human rights, civil liberties,
respect for minorities, and ethnic and religious tolerance. For Turkey’s
Armenian minority, the neighboring Republic of Armenia, and Armenians
worldwide, this also entails Turkey’s acknowledgement of the Armenian
Genocide and redress of its consequences. Extending full diplomatic
relations and opening the border with Armenia would be the right steps
in that direction.
We call upon your Administration to bring its leadership, weight and
authority to urge Turkey’s compliance with these norms and commitments.
We also call upon you to support a Congressional resolution honoring the
memory of Hrant Dink and deploring his assassination.
Sincerely,
Hirair Hovnanian
Chairman
Board of Trustees