SON OF SLAIN ETHNIC ARMENIAN JOURNALIST IS CONVICTED IN TURKEY OF ‘INSULTING TURKISHNESS’

International Herald tribune, France
The Associated Press
Oct 11 2007

ISTANBUL, Turkey: The son of a journalist killed earlier this year
after calling the massacre of Armenians genocide was convicted Thursday
of insulting Turkey’s identity for republishing his father’s remarks.

Arat Dink, editor of the Armenian newspaper Agos, and publisher Serkis
Seropyan each received a one-year suspended sentence for "insulting
Turkishness," said their lawyer, Erdal Dogan. He said they would
appeal the sentences.

Dink is the son of ethnic Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was
convicted of the same charge for calling the killing of Armenians
during World War I genocide. He had appealed the conviction when he
was killed by a Turkish youth in January.

The massacre of Armenians is one of the darkest periods in Turkish
history. Armenians say up to 1.5 million people were killed in 1915-17
during the Ottoman Empire, before the birth of modern Turkey.

Turkey rejects the label "genocide," maintaining that the death toll is
inflated and insisting the killings occurred at a time of civil unrest.

The verdict for Dink and Seropyan came a day after legislators in the
U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of a nonbinding bill that
declares the Armenian killings genocide – over Turkey’s objections.

"The discriminatory mentality which turned intolerance into a state
tradition has yet again declared criticism and expression of opinion
an insult to Turkishness and a crime," the rights group Human Rights
Associated said in a statement.

The European Union has pressured Turkey, which aspires to join
the 27-nation bloc, to scrap the controversial law on "insulting
Turkishness," saying it restricts freedom of speech.

Some Turkish leaders, including President Abdullah Gul, also believe
the law has harmed Turkey’s EU bid.