Cyprus President condemn Dink’s assasination

Cyprus President condemn Dink’s assasination

Financial Mirror, Cyprus
Jan 22 2007

22/01/2007

Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos condemned here today the
assassination of Hrank Dink, a Turkish-Armenian editor, who had been
convicted of insulting Turkey’s identity.

Papadopoulos said this was a "very regretable development" and called
on Ankara to show that it respects dissent.

"This is a very regretable development and I believe that everybody
condemns it. Turkey, which has European orientations, first has to
show that it respects dissenting voices and those who have the courage
to speak out for the need to see the country become more European and
for the protection of human rights," the President said, when asked
to comment on Friday’s killing in Istanbul (Constantinople).

The Union of Cyprus Journalists has also condemned the assassination
of Hrant Dink, a Turkish journalist of Armenian origin, who was shot
dead on Friday in Constantinople outside the premises of the bilingual
Turkish and Armenian weekly "Agos", where he worked as chief – editor.

"This is a heinous crime against the fundamental principles and
rights of the freedom of the press and the freedom of expression",
the UCJ says in its press release.

The UCJ adds that "it is about time that Turkey proceeds with no
further delay to the abolition of article 301 of its penal code,
which provides for the persecution of persons who freely express
their views under the pretext of insulting Turkishness."

Dink advocated freedom of expression, it says.

He was convicted last year of insulting Turkishness in Turkey,
charges which he denied.