III 110th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 65 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

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.