Killing of Turkish Editor Termed Assault on Free Expression
Washington -- The United States and the world community say the assassination of independent Turkish journalist Hrant Dink strikes a blow against freedom of expression. In condemning Dink’s January 19 murder in Istanbul, Julie Finley, the U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), said the assassination of an independent-minded journalist like Dink is “an assault that is felt by all.” Finley said the United States welcomed Turkey’s “quick and proper reaction” and promise to solve the murder case as quickly as possible.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Washington -- The United States and the world community say the assassination of independent Turkish journalist Hrant Dink strikes a blow against freedom of expression.
In condemning Dink’s January 19 murder in Istanbul, Julie Finley, the U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe ( OSCE ), said the assassination of an independent-minded journalist like Dink is “an assault that is felt by all.” Finley said the United States welcomed Turkey’s “quick and proper reaction” and promise to solve the murder case as quickly as possible.
Finley added that Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer was right in characterizing the murder as a “repugnant and shameful attack” that “deeply wounded” Turkey.
Sezer’s wish that Turkey “never experience such a sorrowful event again” is the United States’ wish as well, said Finley. She added that the United States applauded the “new gestures of openness” between Turkish and Armenian authorities in response to the assassination.
In an interview with Mehmet Ali Birand of the Turkish television station Kanal D January 19, Under Secretary of State R. Nicholas Burns called Dink's murder "an outrageous act of criminality."
"We look forward to see Turkish justice and we look forward to see these killers brought to justice," he said. ( See related article. )
At a January 23 memorial service in Washington for Dink, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried said the slain journalist “stood for a civic virtue higher than hatred, higher than ethnic stereotypes, higher than fears and repression and ignorance. His was a vision of a better world. His was a vision of the best in Turkey’s tradition. The measure of how our world falls short must be judged by his murder at the hands of an ignorant, hate-filled nationalist.”
Miklos Haraszti, the OSCE representative on freedom of the media, said January 19 he was shocked by Dink’s murder.
Dink was one of Turkey's “outstanding commentators on Armenian-community related affairs," said Haraszti, adding that “this is a cowardly act resulting in tragic loss."
The editor and columnist of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos, was gunned down outside his paper’s offices.
PRESS FREEDOM GROUPS UNITED IN CONDEMNATION
The Paris-based press freedom advocacy group, Reporters Without Borders, said Dink was outspoken in his views regarding the massacre of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire during World War I. The organization said Dink’s murder “will distress and disturb all those who defend the freedom of thought and expression in Turkey and elsewhere.” The Ottoman Empire was a vast Turkish state that existed from 1299 to 1922.
Dink’s murder follows a report by Reporters Without Borders that more journalists were killed around the world in 2006 than in any year since 1994. At least 81 journalists were killed in 21 countries while doing their jobs in 2006. ( See related article. )
Reflecting on the dangers facing journalists worldwide, Karen Hughes, the State Department’s under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, told USINFO January 12 that “we live in a time of unprecedented attacks on the media around the world. Journalists in many countries face the threat of being harassed, abducted, imprisoned, tortured, maimed or assassinated just for doing their jobs. We need to talk much more in international circles about the extent of this problem -- what’s being done about it -- and what more we could do."
Another press freedom group, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists ( CPJ ), said 18 Turkish journalists have been killed for their work in the last 15 years, making Turkey the eighth deadliest country in the world for journalists.
The CPJ said in a January 19 statement that Dink had received numerous death threats from nationalist Turks who objected to his views.
The group said that “through his journalism, Hrant Dink sought to shed light on Turkey’s troubled past and create a better future for Turks and Armenians. This earned him many enemies, but he vowed to continue writing despite receiving many threats.”
Koïchiro Matsuura, secretary-general of the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, said January 22 that he welcomed the speed with which the Turkish authorities were investigating the case. Matsuura said the swift investigation was “proof” of the Turkish government’s determination to not let “this heinous crime go unpunished.”
The State Department’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005 discusses freedom of speech and press in Turkey. For additional information, see the Turkey section of the report on the State Department Web site.
( USINFO is produced by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov )
This story was released on 2007-01-29. Please make sure to visit the official company or organization web site to learn more about the original release date. See our disclaimer for additional information.