[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2626]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING ARMENIAN EDITOR HRANT DINK

  (Mr. COSTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. COSTA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to mourn the loss of the 
Armenian Turkish newspaper editor, Hrant Dink. On January 19, the 
legacy of the Armenian genocide continued. Hrant Dink, who was tried 
and convicted of ``insulting Turkishness'' by recognizing the Armenian 
genocide, unfortunately, was shot dead over a week ago.
  Dink was a voice for freedom of the press, for democracy and for 
Armenian genocide recognition. Between 1915 and 1923, the Ottoman 
Empire led a genocide on its Armenian population, killing over 1.5 
million people. Over 90 years later, the Turkish Government still 
refuses to acknowledge it occurred.
  I told the Turkish foreign minister last year that to move forward 
with democratic reform, Turkey must first comes to grips with its past, 
just as our country had during the civil rights movement. Yesterday, I 
sent a letter to President Bush urging the withdrawal of the nomination 
of Richard Hoagland to be Ambassador to Armenia. Given the 
assassination of Dink, we cannot have an ambassador who refuses to 
acknowledge the Armenian genocide happened. It would send the wrong 
message.

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