KILLERS OF TURKISH-ARMENIAN JOURNALIST SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE SAYS EUROPEAN MP

NTV MSNBC
Feb 11 2008
Turkey

The trial of those accused of involvement in Dink’s murder resumed
on Monday.

ISTANBUL – It was vital for Turkey’s credibility that those responsible
for the murder of prominent Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink
were brought to justice, a leading member of the Euorpean Parliament
said Monday.

It was important that those who masterminded Dink’s killing should also
be tried, said Joost Lagendijk, a member of the European parliament
and co-chairman of an inter-parliamentary committee between Turkey
and the European Union.

Speaking to reporters outside an Istanbul court house where 19 suspects
in the January 19, 2007 assassination of Dink were on trial, Lagendijk
said uncovering the forces who are believed to be behind the Dink
murder was an important development for Turkey as a rule of law.

"Turkey’s credibility as a rule of law might be seriously harmed at
the international level unless the reality was brought to the day
light," Lagendijk said.