Cyprus President condemn Dink’s assasination

Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos condemned here today the assassination of Hrank Dink, a Turkish-Armenian editor, who had been convicted of insulting Turkey’s identity.
Papadopoulos said this was a “very regretable development” and called on Ankara to show that it respects dissent.
“This is a very regretable development and I believe that everybody condemns it. Turkey, which has European orientations, first has to show that it respects dissenting voices and those who have the courage to speak out for the need to see the country become more European and for the protection of human rights,” the President said, when asked to comment on Friday’s killing in Istanbul (Constantinople).
The Union of Cyprus Journalists has also condemned the assassination of Hrant Dink, a Turkish journalist of Armenian origin, who was shot dead on Friday in Constantinople outside the premises of the bilingual Turkish and Armenian weekly “Agos”, where he worked as chief – editor.
“This is a heinous crime against the fundamental principles and rights of the freedom of the press and the freedom of expression”, the UCJ says in its press release.
The UCJ adds that “it is about time that Turkey proceeds with no further delay to the abolition of article 301 of its penal code, which provides for the persecution of persons who freely express their views under the pretext of insulting Turkishness.”
Dink advocated freedom of expression, it says.
He was convicted last year of insulting Turkishness in Turkey, charges which he denied.