PUBLIC APOLOGY WILL INEVITABLY LEAD TO TURKEY COMING TO GRIPS WITH ITS GENOCIDAL PAST
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.01.2009 16:30 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly)
marked the 2nd anniversary of Hrant Dink murder, the Assembly told
PanARMENIAN.Net.
"On the 2nd anniversary of Hrant Dink’s assassination, as we pause
to reflect on his life and untimely death, his legacy lives on in
Turkey," said Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. In December
of last year intellectuals in Turkey asked their fellow citizens to
sign a petition apologizing to their ‘Armenian brothers and sisters’
for the ‘denial of the Great Catastrophe that the Ottoman Armenians
were subjected to in 1915.
"With this petition, its 27,775 signatures, and the millions
around the world that call for Turkey to lift its ban on truth, an
irrevocable trend continues towards global recognition of the Armenian
Genocide. This public apology is a first step in that direction and
will inevitably lead to Turkey coming to grips with its genocidal
past," added Ardouny.
In the weeks following Dink’s assassination, then-Senator Joseph
Biden, Jr. (D-DE), introduced a resolution in the U.S. Senate, which
was passed by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. S.Res. 65
condemned the murder of Hrant Dink as "a shameful act of cowardice
perpetrated with contempt for law, justice and decency" and urged
the Government of Turkey to repeal Article 301 and "work diligently
to foster a more open intellectual environment in the country that
is conducive to the free exchange of ideas."
Biden commented, "Hrant Dink was a man of strong conviction who wanted,
above all, to foster greater understanding and respect between Turks
and Armenians. His assassination is one more tragic reminder of why
Turkey needs to reform its laws and allow for an open discussion of
events surrounding the Armenian Genocide. It should never be a crime
to speak the truth."
In the two years since Dink was murdered by a Turkish ultranationalist,
Turkey has still failed to adopt standards and practices that would
reverse the prevalence of intolerance, repression and prejudice which
led to the assassination. Arat Dink, the son of Hrant Dink, was also
convicted under Article 301 for characterizing the 1915 killings of
Armenians as genocide.