ARF YOUTH PARTICIPATES IN SOCIALIST YOUTH WORLD COUNCIL
ASBAREZ
2/6/2007
CORK, Ireland–Representatives of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Youth from Thursday to Saturday participated in the general meeting
of the World Council of the International Union of Socialist Youth,
an affiliate of the Socialist International.
Ovsanna Atanessian of England and Hovnatan Spankenberg of Germany
represented the ARF Youth at the gathering, where they presented a
report on the treatment of Armenian minority community in Turkey and
the recent murder of Agos newspaper editor Hrant Dink.
"We as ARF Youth ask that, as socialist youth, we discuss the real
picture of Turkey and by adopting a resolution condemning Hrant Dink’s
murder, we send a clear message to the Turkish government about the
fascist forces working in Turkey,"said Spankenberg.
The presidency of the meeting presented the resolution, which was
adopted unanimously by the general meeting.
In 2004, at the IUSY World Council’s general assembly in Santiago,
Chile, a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide was approved.
The ARF Youth delegation also participated in the European Committee
meeting. During a presentation on Armenia’s current situation,
highlighting the upcoming parliamentary election, the ARF Youth
representative said "Our party’s main objective is to see the
people vote for values and political programs and not for short-term
interests."
The IUSY has representatives from 143 socialist, social-democratic
and labor unions from 100 countries.
Below is the complete text of the resolution on Hrant Dink’s murder:
The World Council of the International Union of Socialist Youth
condemns the cold-blooded murder of Hrant Dink, an Armenian journalist
and editor of "Agos" a bi-lingual Weekly in Istanbul on the 19th
January 2007. This abhorrent crime brings new threats to the rights
and existence of the diminishing Armenian community in Turkey.
The Turkish State should ultimately be held responsible for the murder
of Hrant Dink, a citizen of Turkey due to its,
* Failure to provide Dink with protection, even though he had
explicitly asked for it after receiving death threats for allegedly
"insulting Turkishness"
* Systematic denial of the Armenian Genocide
* Prosecuting of intellectuals like Dink and Pamuk for openly
acknowledging the historic truth of the Armenian Genocide
The continuing policy of Genocide denial has encouraged racism,
fascism and discrimination in Turkish society
Dink’s murder proves that there is no tolerance in Turkey for differing
views, freedom of speech and minority rights.
Therefore, and mindful of its 2004 World Council Resolution, the IUSY
calls on Turkey:
* To recognize the Armenian genocide and take full responsibility
for this crime against humanity
* To repeal paragraph 301 of the penal code, which is frequently used
to prosecute anyone who "insults Turkishness."
* To respect the rights of minorities and freedom of speech.