Author: Vanyan Gary

Armenian National Committee of Australia Inc.
259 Penshurst Street, P.O. Box 768, Willoughby NSW 2068
Tel: +612 9419 8264 ~ Fax: +612 9411 8898
Email: [email protected]

The Peak Public Affairs Committee of the Armenian-Australian Community

Press Release

Contact:
Dr. Tro Kortian (+61 412 197 364)
Mr. Varant Meguerditchian (+61 414 582 322)

January 26th, 2007

Armenian-Australian Community Leaders Meet with Turkish Ambassador in
Australia

A delegation of Armenian-Australian community leaders including His Eminence
Archbishop Aghan Baliozian Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church,
representatives of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia and Mr.
Varant Meguerditchian, of the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC
of Australia) yesterday met with Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey in
Australia, His Excellency N. Murat Ersavci, to convey the
Armenian-Australian community’s outrage at the recent murder of
Turkish-Armenian journalist Mr Hrant Dink.

Editor of the Istanbul based ‘Agos’ newspaper, Dink was an advocate for
freedom of speech, having repeatedly critisised Turkey for its mistreatment
of ethnic minorities and Turkey’s continued denial of the Armenian Genocide.
After countless death threats, Dink was gunned down as a result of extremist
behaviour fostered by Turkey’s political system.

Ambassador Murat Ersavci refused to accept, after reading, a letter
presented to him by the Armenian community delegation condemning article 301
of the Turkish Penal Code [defined as insulting Turkishness]. The Ambassador
stated that article 301 was an internal matter which did not concern the
Armenian Diaspora and further suggested that the Armenian Diaspora abandon
its fight for recognition of the Armenian Genocide as it was harming
relations between the neighbour nations.

In response, the Armenian-Australian community leaders emphasised to the
Ambassador, that Turkey’s political system had moulded its society into one
that encouraged racism and nationalistic behaviour ultimately leading of
Hrant Dink’s murder. The Armenian community representatives reiterated their
demand that Turkey abolish article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, bring the
conspirators behind the murder to justice and to accept responsibility for
the Genocide of the Armenians in order to normalise relations between Turkey
and Armenia.

In a joint statement after the meeting, the Diocese of the Armenian Church
in Australia and the Armenian National Committee of Australia declared that
‘The meeting was a success. Although the Ambassador rejected our letter, it
was clear to the Turkish representative that the Armenian Diaspora is united
in its outrage at Dink’s murder and the continued denial of the Armenian
Genocide.’

_____________________________ ________________________________

During the last days of the Ottoman Empire the ‘Young Turk’ Government
implemented a policy of Genocide upon its Christian Armenian population. As
a result, up to 1.5million Armenian men, women and children lost their lives
between 1915 and 1922. The
y – Republic
of Turkey continues to deny responsibility of the Armenian Genocide.

[end]

Death in Istanbul
Editorial

FT
January 25 2007 02:00

The assassination last Friday of Hrant Dink, the editor of a
bilingual Armenian-Turkish newspaper, called forth a howl of outrage
on the streets of Istanbul, as 100,000 mourners at his funeral cried
"we are all Armenians" or "we are all Hrant Dink". A teenager who
admits to the crime and has ties to Turkey’s violent ultranationalist
fringe has been caught. What Turkey now needs, especially if it is to
remain a credible candidate for membership of the European Union, is
a ruthless examination of the poisonous backdrop to this killing. Mr
Dink’s murderer did not emerge from nowhere.

The impasse in Turkey’s EU accession talks has whipped up xenophobia.
Brussels says that despite major reforms to entrench human, democratic
and minority rights, Ankara has not done enough to protect freedom
of expression or subordinate the army to civilian control. Turkey’s
neo-Islamist government says the Europeans are acting in bad faith,
raising the bar to entry ever higher to pander to anti-Muslim
prejudice, particularly in France, Germany and Austria.

Both are right. But there are, nevertheless, rightly unalterable
membership criteria. No country with a penal code that makes it a crime
to "denigrate Turkishness" (Article 301) will meet them. European
membership is also inconceivable while Turkey refuses to face up to
the mass murders of Armenians as the Ottoman empire crumbled during
the first world war.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister, has called for reputable
historians to establish the truth, confident this would place the
killings within a conflict in which millions of Turks also perished
as western powers dismembered Ottoman territory.

Yet for generations there has been nothing but silence or denial. Rare
conferences to discuss these terrible events have been cancelled after
pressure from the army-dominated nationalist establishment. Turkey
closed its borders with Armenia in 1993.

Critically, nationalist cabals have used Article 301 to silence writers
and intellectuals who have dared to raise the Armenian tragedy and ask
whether it was centrally directed genocide. Mr Dink himself was given
a suspended jail sentence and Orhan Pamuk, the Nobel prize-winning
novelist was also dragged to
court (where yesterday he was publicly threatened by a well-known
extremist
who prosecutors say provided the gun that killed Mr Dink).

Mr Erdogan has reacted forcibly to the murder and made gestures of
reconciliation towards the Armenians. It is unrealistic to expect
more ahead of fiercely contested elections this year.

But Turkey must demonstrate its commitment to free speech by repealing
Article 301, not only a mechanism for exacerbating ultranationalism
but evidently an incitement to murder too. Once the elections are
over, Turks and Armenians need to move towards a public reckoning
with history.

AFTER HRANT DINK’S MURDER, TURKISH MASS MEDIA AGAIN STRIKES ONE’S
EYE WITH FALSE INFORMATION, YERVAND AZATIAN BELIEVES

YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, NOYAN TAPAN. After "Akos" newspaper editor
Hrant Dink’s murder, too sensitive articles appeared in both Armenian
and Turkish press, and it is natural. Yervand Azatian, an American
Armenian writer, publicist, a member of the Ramkavar-Azatakan (Liberal
Democratic) party, "Azg" (nation) newspaper founder, at present
– shareholder expressed such an opinion at the January 26 press
conference. But, in his words, Turkish mass media use during these
years the PR technologies more frequently what is mainly expressed by
spreading not correct information. In Y.Azatian’s opinion, a bright
example of false information is the information published by the
Turkish mass media as if Armenian extremist organizations are behind
H.Dink’s murder.

In Y.Azatian’s words, the international press does not unequivocally
cover H.Dink’s murder, either. For example, though CNN in general
touched upon H.Dink’s murder, only a small part of materials covering
that crime was shown in the U.S.

Touching upon the activity of the Liberal Democratic Party, he
mentioned that people representing that political force in Armenia are
not "ideologically mellow." In Y.Azatian’s words, the party named LDPA
does not correspond by its actions way to the party with the same name
acting abroad. "Responding the question "What organization does LDPA
head Haroutiun Arakelian represent in that case?" Y.Azatian answered:
"I do not know."

EXACT NUMBER OF YEREVAN POPULATION PROVIDED WITH 24-HOUR WATER SUPPLY TO BE
INDICATED THIS YEAR

YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, NOYAN TAPAN. Thanks to pressure registering meters
(loggers) installed in December 2006, it will be possible to clarify
by May 31 of this year what percentage of Yerevan’s population is
provided with a 24-hour water supply. Director General of the Yerevan
Water Company Serge Popoff told NT correspondent that there are many
problems in the sector but the major one is related to old pipes, which
cause 60% of total water losses reaching 80% in the system. S. Popoff
said that in accordance with the company’s agreement obligation,
the total volume of water losses will be reduced to 50% in the 10
years of lease – by 2016.

The director general noted that Yerevan Water, which leased on June
2006 Yerevan’s water supply and sewerage system for 10 years, has
assumed a number of important obligations, including ensuring the
continuity of water supply and the high quality of supplied water,
as well as improvement of relations with customers.

S. Popoff considered illegal water connections as another important
problem.

As a result of several measures aimed at removing these illegal
connections or bringing them to the legal field, 1,400 illegal water
connections were legalized in September, October and November of
last year.

It was mentioned that 700 million drams (about 1.9 mln USD) will
be invested in the system this year. A new water quality testing
laboratory will be put into operation in July-August. By late 2008
all 500 pumps in Yerevan yards will be replaced with new automated
ones. Special devices allowing to reveal flow losses will be installed
as well.

Mesrob II weeps at mass for Dink

Hurriyet, Turkey
Jan 24 2007

The funeral mass for slain journalist Hrant Dink yesterday at the
Armenian Church of the Virgin Mary was led by the Archbishop Sahan
Sivaciyan, with words also spoken by Patriarch Mesrob II, who was so
moved by tears that he had a difficult time speaking.

The Ankara government was represented at the mass by Deputy Prime
Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin and Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu,
as well as many MPs from the Turkish Parliament. With officials and
citizens coming from all over the world to join in the march before
Dink’s funeral, as well as to attend the mass, it was clear that
the journalist’s death had touched a wide variety of walks of life
and beliefs.

PM Erdogan to visit Dink family home today

Hurriyet, Turkey
Jan 24 2007

Though Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, due to his pre-determined
program that included hosting Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi,
was not able to attend funeral services for slain journalist Hrant
Dink, the Ankara prime ministerial offices have confirmed that the
leader will visit the Dink family at their home in Istanbul today to
convey his condolences.

Following a visit with the Dink family in their home in Bakirkoy,
Prime Minister Erdogan will also be visiting with Armenian Patriarch
Mesrob II to speak about the journalist’s death.

Turkish Daily News
I am an Armenian Today

Tuesday, January 23, 2007
php?ed=cuneyt_ulsever

Today I am an Armenian. I am a Jew, a Greek, an Asyrian, a Chaldean
today. Today I am a Kurd, a Laz, a Circassian, a Georgian, an Abkhaz,
an Arab, a Gypsy! Today, I am very hurt, weary and sad. Today, my
stomach is upset because I am forced to watch the same film over and
over again. Why was Hrant Dink slain?

CUNEYT ULSEVER

Today I am an Armenian. I am a Jew, a Greek, an Asyrian, a Chaldean.

Today I am a Kurd, a Laz, a Circassian, a Georgian, an Abkhaz, an Arab,
a Gypsy!

Today, I am very hurt, weary and sad.

Today, my stomach is upset because I am forced to watch the same film
over and over again.

Why was Hrant Dink slain?

Two things I am sure of:

Whenever Turkey tries to be active in foreign politics, it is forced
to deal with its own issues.

Now, Turkey will be humbled by "genocide bills."

She will be receiving a hard blow in the United States Congress,
just as she is electing her new president in April.

But what I find more consequential is:

Instead of being an active country in the Middle East, once again
Turkey will become a passive country busy trying to acquit and
explain herself.

I see a link between the latest developments in the Middle East,
the Turkish Parliament’s decision for a secret meeting, and this
loathsome murder.

As of now, every time Turkey will try to make a leap in issues relating
to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), about Kirkuk, about northern
Iraq, she will be told, "Clean up your own shame first."

A shamed entity cannot advise, instruct, or guide someone else!

Whenever there is a sharp divide between the will of the nation and
the will of the state, the skies first covered up with dark clouds,
then it starts hailing, and, in the end, there is a storm.

Dark clouds have been gathering ever since the episodes in
Å~^emdinli. It is obvious that as May 2007 nears, first it will start
hailing, and then a storm will break out.

Will the person at the top become the president of the Republic?

Or will he be the president of the state?

That is the issue!

I wonder:

Will the conscience of those who insist on not changing Article
301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), who cannot pronounce the word
"Turk" for Hrant Dink but only refer to him with the cold label of
" citizen of the Turkish Republic", who made Dink suffer in courts
but passed judgments in front of cameras without any restraint, who
elusively answer "my party will decide on that" when asked whether
they will be attending Dink’s funeral, and who think they can avoid
any responsibility by claiming "he did not request any protection,"
ever rest?

Do not look far away for Dink’s murderer. Do not mix up those who
politicize Dink’s murder with the murderer.

Do not rest before the real murderers are caught!

"The fire burns where it falls!"

My condolences to his family!

Hope he rests well in heaven!

Farewell Hrant!

–Boundary_(ID_ImjFTJkdZlHdbCyshUSSrA)–

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Jan 20 2007

TURKISH ORGANIZATIONS CONDEMN JOURNALIST’S KILLING

Washington, DC, 20 January: Washington-based Turkish American
Associations Assembly (TAAA) strongly condemned on Saturday [20
January] the killing of Turkish Armenian journalist Hrant Dink and
urged every effort to bring to justice and punish perpetrators of
this vicious murder.

"The killing of Mr Dink is a great loss to Turkey. He was a respected
member and voice of Istanbul’s prosperous and growing Armenian
community," a statement by the TAAA said.

A group of people, including European Turkish parliamentarians, laid
a wrath in front of the building of Dink’s bilingual weekly Agos.

Civil servants’ union Memur-sen and moral rights workers’ union
Hak-Is also condemned the attack.

Meanwhile, Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch Vartholomeos said that the
attack on Dink was a provocation attempt against the ideal of
peaceful coexistence of different cultures in Turkey.

"We are deeply saddened by the heinous assassination of Hrant Dink,
one of our country’s prominent journalists," Vartholomeos told
journalists before his departure to France.

Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Germany
January 20, 2007 Saturday

Further arrests in murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist

DPA x Turkey Crime Further arrests in murder of Turkish-Armenian
journalist Ankara
Five further arrests have been made in connection
with the murder in Istanbul of prominent Turkish-Armenian journalist
Hrant Dink, bringing the total number of suspects in police custody

to eight, Turkish media reported Saturday.

The editor of the Armenian and Turkish language Agos newspaper was
killed as he left the offices of the newspaper Friday afternoon.

Dink, 52, had angered nationalists in Turkey and was last year
found guilty under Turkey’s notorious Article 301 for having
"insulting Turkishness" for comments he had made in his newspaper on
Turkish-Armenian relations.

Istanbul’s provincial governor Muammer Guler said he was confident
that the perpetrators would be brought to justice soon. Turkish media

had following the murder broadcast security camera footage which
showed the killers fleeing the scene.

Thousands of people took to the streets in Istanbul Friday
evening, protesting the murder under the slogan "We are all Hrant
Dink."

In his last article written for Argos newspaper Dink said he had
received many death threats from Turkish nationalists over his
comments on Turkish-Armenian relations and was living under a kind of

psychological torture.

Around 70,000 ethnic-Armenians live in Turkey, most in Istanbul.

Armenian numbers were considerably higher, especially in eastern
Anatolia until World War I when the local Armenian population sided
with invading Russian forces.

The Ottoman government ordered the deportation of Armenians living
in the east during which hundreds of thousands of people died.

Armenian historians claim that as many as 1.5 million Christian
Armenians were killed in the deportations and in massacres and that
the actions were a clear genocide.

Turkey admits that there were massacres of Armenians during the
deportations, but vehemently denies that the killings constituted a
genocide.

Pakistan Times
Jan 21 2007

Three detained in Turkey for Journalist’s Murder
‘Pakistan Times’ Wire Service

ISTANBUL: Police have taken into custody three people in connection
with the assassination Friday of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant
Dink, Istanbul governor Muammer Guler was quoted as saying by a
Turkish news agency.

The 53-year-old Dink, who angered nationalist circles and the courts
with his views on the 1915-1918 massacres of Armenians, was shot dead
outside the offices of the Agos weekly, which he edited, in the busy
Sisli district in the European side of the city.

Initial media reports had said that police were looking for a man in
his late teens, wearing a denim jacket and a white cap, while
Anatolia reported that witnesses saw a man in his late twenties
running from the scene.

Amnesty Condemns Killing

Meanwhile, a report from London says that Human rights group Amnesty
International on Friday condemned the assassination of a
Turkish-Armenian journalist, believing he had been singled out
because of his outspoken views on free speech.

"Amnesty International deplores the murder today (Friday) of the
prominent Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink," the London-based
group said in a statement.

"The organisation believes that he was targeted because of his work
as a journalist who championed freedom of expression."

Dink, the 53-year-old editor of the weekly Agos newspaper, died when
an unidentified gunman shot him three times in the head and neck
outside his office in Istanbul. His murder prompted thousands of
people to take to the streets in protest in Istanbul and the Turkish
capital Ankara.

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Ayyip Erdogan described Dink’s death as
a "heinous murder" and vowed to bring the assailants to justice.
Amnesty praised Dink for his passionate promotion of human rights and
his questioning of official versions of history in Turkey relating to
the massacres of Armenians between 1915 and 1918 in the dying days of
the Ottoman Empire. That drew the wrath of nationalists and the
judiciary.

Amnesty’s Europe and Central Asia programme director Nicola Duckworth
said: "In Turkey there are still a number of harsh laws which endorse
the suppression of freedom of speech.

"These laws, coupled with the persisting official statements by
senior government, state and military officials condemning critical
debate and dissenting opinion, create an atmosphere in which violent
attacks can take place."

Amnesty called on Ankara to "condemn all forms of intolerance, to
uphold human rights of all citizens of the Turkish Republic and to
investigate the murder of Hrant Dink thoroughly and impartially".

The results of the investigation should be made public and the
perpetrators brought to justice "in accordance with international
fair trial standards."