PRESS RELEASE
Senator Barbara Boxer
Washington D.C.
112 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-3553

Dear Friend:

I wanted to let you know that I am cosponsoring Senate
Resolution 65, condemning the murder of Armenian journalist and
human rights advocate Hrant Dink. The text of the resolution
can be found below.

Hrant Dink offered a voice for freedom and truth about the
Armenian Genocide and the history of Armenian-Turkish
relations. His death will not silence his message.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

S. RES. 65

Condemning the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist and human
rights advocate Hrant Dink and urging the people of Turkey to
honor his legacy of tolerance.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 1, 2007

Mr. BIDEN submitted the following resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

RESOLUTION

Condemning the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist and human
rights advocate Hrant Dink and urging the people of Turkey to
honor his legacy of tolerance.

Whereas Hrant Dink was a respected, eloquent advocate for press
freedom, human rights, and reconciliation;

Whereas, in 1996, Mr. Dink founded the weekly bilingual
newspaper Agos and, as the paper’s editor in chief, used the
paper to provide a voice for Turkey’s Armenian community;

Whereas Mr. Dink was a strong proponent of rapprochement
between Turks and Armenians and worked diligently to improve
relations between those communities;

Whereas Mr. Dink’s commitment to democratic values,
nonviolence, and freedom in the media earned him widespread
recognition and numerous international awards;

Whereas Mr. Dink was prosecuted under Article 301 of the
Turkish Penal Code for speaking about the Armenian Genocide;

Whereas, notwithstanding hundreds of threats to Mr. Dink’s life
and safety, he remained a steadfast proponent of pluralism and
tolerance;

Whereas Mr. Dink was assassinated outside the offices of Agos
in Istanbul, Turkey, on January 19, 2007;

Whereas tens of thousands of people in Turkey of many
ethnicities protested Mr. Dink’s killing and took to the
streets throughout the country to honor his memory;

Whereas the Government of Turkey has pledged to undertake a
full investigation into the murder of Mr. Dink;

Whereas the Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has
stated that when Mr. Dink was shot, `a bullet was fired at
freedom of thought and democratic life in Turkey’;

Whereas the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Vartan Oskanian,
stated that Mr. Dink `lived his life in the belief that there
can be understanding, dialogue and peace amongst peoples’; and

Whereas Mr. Dink’s tragic death affirmed the importance of
promoting the values that he championed in life: Now,
therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate–

(1) condemns the murder of Hrant Dink as a shameful act of
cowardice perpetrated with contempt for law, justice, and
decency;

(2) supports the pledge of the Government of Turkey to conduct
an exhaustive investigation into the assassination of Mr. Dink
and to prosecute those responsible;

(3) urges the Government of Turkey to repeal Article 301 of the
Turkish Penal Code and work diligently to foster a more open
intellectual environment in the country that is conducive to
the free exchange of ideas;

(4) recognizes the decision of the Government of Turkey to
invite senior Armenian religious and political figures to
participate in memorial services for Mr. Dink;

(5) calls on the Government of Turkey to act in the interest of
regional security and prosperity and reestablish full
diplomatic, political, and economic relations with the
Government of Armenia; and

(6) urges the people of Turkey to honor Mr. Dink’s legacy of
tolerance.

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