DTP’S TURK DEMANDS DEEPER INVESTIGATION INTO DINK MURDER
Today’s Zaman
Jan 23 2008
Turkey
Democratic Society Party (DTP) parliamentary group leader Ahmet Turk
said a deeper investigation should be launched into the assassination
of Hrant Dink, the former editor of the Armenian-Turkish weekly Agos.
Delivering a speech at the DTP parliamentary group meeting on Tuesday,
Turk said the Dink’s murder should be thoroughly investigated, noting
that several other Turkish intellectuals may be the victims of similar
assassinations unless the shroud of fog surrounding the Dink murder
is dissipated. "We may witness similar shootings in the coming days
as long as honest judges and prosecutors are removed from office,"
he said.
Dink was shot dead in front of the Agos building on Jan. 19, 2007
by an ultranationalist teenager. "Someone may shoot you some day if
the shroud of fog behind the Susurluk, Þemdinli and Dink cases is not
dissipated. Those who consider themselves the ‘state’ may become the
target of bullets some day," Turk said.
Stressing that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan has adopted a
stance toward the headscarf problem similar to his stance on the
Kurdish issue, Turk accused Erdoðan of bringing Turkey’s deep-rooted
problems to the national agenda without offering a concrete formula
to solve them. "Erdoðan is not courageous enough to bring sensitive
issues to Parliament’s agenda," he said.
Turk said the Islamic headscarf is a matter of human rights and
freedoms, adding that his party is keen to discuss the headscarf ban
with those who consider wearing the headscarf a freedom of belief.
"We believe that the headscarf is a woman’s right. It should not
be considered a political symbol. Each person has a belief and a
philosophy, and so do the Alevis. We need to evaluate the demands
voiced by the Alevis," he added.
Slamming the campaign launched by the Justice and Development Party
(AK Party) for the upcoming local elections, Turk said: "Erdoðan
believes he can deceive the public in the provinces of Diyarbakýr,
Mardin and Tunceli with five kilograms of coal, five kilograms of
pasta and five kilograms of sugar. The public desires peace. The
people cry out for peace. Can coal and pasta stop this cry? Can they
ensure peace? How many factories have you founded in the eastern and
southeastern regions so far? Our public will not be satisfied with
some coal and sugar," he said.
–Boundary_(ID_QkV45SSd/tb5vfIAwAMJgQ)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
