SENATOR BIDEN: ARTICLE 301 CONTRIBUTED TO THE TOXIC POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT THAT LED UP TO DINK’S MURDER

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.06.2007 15:19 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ U.S. Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee Chairman
Joseph Biden welcomed the initiative of 53 Nobel Laureates who called
on Armenia and Turkey to cooperation and tolerance. In his statement
Senator Biden also supports their call on Ankara to end all forms of
discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities and repeal of
Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, the Armenian Assembly of America
reports. Shortly after the murder of "Agos" bilingual editor-in-chief
Hrant Dink, Biden introduced legislation, condemning the assassination
of the Turkish-Armenian journalist. The resolution urges Turkey to
take appropriate actions to protect freedom of speech by repealing
Article 301. It also calls on Turkey to establish full diplomatic,
political and economic relations with Armenia. "There is no question
that Article 301 contributed to the toxic political environment that
led up to Mr. Dink’s assassination in January," Joseph Biden stated.

Turning to the issue of the Armenian Genocide, Biden reminded that
an independent legal study was corroborated by the International
Association of Genocide Scholars, which determined the events of
1915 constituted genocide and conform to the statutes of the United
Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide. "The
existence of these independent evaluations of the Armenian Genocide
and relevant international law should provide an opportunity for both
countries to accept the verdict of history and move forward. I hope
that the words of these Nobel Laureates will encourage the people of
both nations to recognize and ultimately transcend the legacy of the
Armenian Genocide. Once this occurs, I have every confidence that the
people of Armenia and Turkey will be able to rebuild the ties between
their countries and forge a new, enduring peace," senator Biden stated.