[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 65 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 65

 Condemning the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist and human rights 
advocate Hrant Dink and urging the people of Turkey to honor his legacy 
                             of tolerance.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 1, 2007

Mr. Biden submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Condemning the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist and human rights 
advocate Hrant Dink and urging the people of Turkey to honor his legacy 
                             of tolerance.

Whereas Hrant Dink was a respected, eloquent advocate for press freedom, human 
        rights, and reconciliation;
Whereas, in 1996, Mr. Dink founded the weekly bilingual newspaper Agos and, as 
        the paper's editor in chief, used the paper to provide a voice for 
        Turkey's Armenian community;
Whereas Mr. Dink was a strong proponent of rapprochement between Turks and 
        Armenians and worked diligently to improve relations between those 
        communities;
Whereas Mr. Dink's commitment to democratic values, nonviolence, and freedom in 
        the media earned him widespread recognition and numerous international 
        awards;
Whereas Mr. Dink was prosecuted under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code for 
        speaking about the Armenian Genocide;
Whereas, notwithstanding hundreds of threats to Mr. Dink's life and safety, he 
        remained a steadfast proponent of pluralism and tolerance;
Whereas Mr. Dink was assassinated outside the offices of Agos in Istanbul, 
        Turkey, on January 19, 2007;
Whereas tens of thousands of people in Turkey of many ethnicities protested Mr. 
        Dink's killing and took to the streets throughout the country to honor 
        his memory;
Whereas the Government of Turkey has pledged to undertake a full investigation 
        into the murder of Mr. Dink;
Whereas the Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has stated that when 
        Mr. Dink was shot, ``a bullet was fired at freedom of thought and 
        democratic life in Turkey'';
Whereas the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Vartan Oskanian, stated that Mr. Dink 
        ``lived his life in the belief that there can be understanding, dialogue 
        and peace amongst peoples''; and
Whereas Mr. Dink's tragic death affirmed the importance of promoting the values 
        that he championed in life: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) condemns the murder of Hrant Dink as a shameful act of 
        cowardice perpetrated with contempt for law, justice, and 
        decency;
            (2) supports the pledge of the Government of Turkey to 
        conduct an exhaustive investigation into the assassination of 
        Mr. Dink and to prosecute those responsible;
            (3) urges the Government of Turkey to repeal Article 301 of 
        the Turkish Penal Code and work diligently to foster a more 
        open intellectual environment in the country that is conducive 
        to the free exchange of ideas;
            (4) recognizes the decision of the Government of Turkey to 
        invite senior Armenian religious and political figures to 
        participate in memorial services for Mr. Dink;
            (5) calls on the Government of Turkey to act in the 
        interest of regional security and prosperity and reestablish 
        full diplomatic, political, and economic relations with the 
        Government of Armenia; and
            (6) urges the people of Turkey to honor Mr. Dink's legacy 
        of tolerance.
                                 <all>