Hrant Dink Assassination: Open Threats Of Ultra Nationalists Over Democracy And Its Defenders. A Tragic Event Revealing The Hidden Issues Related To The Treatment Of Minorities In Turkey

Urgent Resolution

We, Human Rights organisations, gathered for the 36th Congress of the FIDH.

Recall that Hrant Dink, a Turkish journalist, of Armenian descent, editor-in-chief of the bilingual “Agos” newspaper has been assassinated on 19 January 2007 in front of his offices. Hrant Dink was at the forefront of the democratic reform movement in Turkey, champion of the Turkish membership for the accession in EU, and the incarnation of the dialogue between Turks and Armenians.

Note that, although legislative reforms took place since 1999, the country encounters severe regressions in the field of fundamental Human Rights, in particular the liberties of opinion and expression and the fundamental right to life.

Observe that radical nationalism, targeting in particular national and long established minorities but also democrats and intellectuals requesting publicly the breaking of Turkish society taboos, such as the Armenian genocide recognition or a political and peaceful solution to the Kurdish question, is increasing dramatically and expresses itself violently and with total impunity.

Considering that Hrant Dink has been targeted for his freedom of thought and speech, and because of his open qualification of genocide for the massive massacres and deportation of Armenian population that started in 1915.

Considering that despite the repeated and verified assertions of threats over his person, Turkish State failed protecting his life.

Considering that the ongoing criminal investigation, although performed in the secret by anti-terrorist prosecutors, already revealed the connection of the alleged murderer with an ultra nationalist paramilitary group and certain security forces.

Considering that more generally Human Rights defenders and Civil Society members calling for drastic and fundamental reforms, especially in public policies dealing with the treatment of minorities, are regularly threatened because of alleged insults to the Turkish identity or against State institutions, and then designated as public targets to nationalist violent groups.

Considering that the current Turkish Constitutional and Penal Laws set out a discriminatory framework for the treatment of minorities, on all matters concerning them, in particular for the Kurdish people, which has no legal existence and protection.

Considering that the degradation of the conflict between Kurd armed groups and Turkish army in the South East of Turkey, affecting primarily the civil population, is the result of this political denial.

The FIDH Congress hereby requests:

1. That the Turkish judiciary system performs a transparent and in depth investigation for establishing all the responsibilities in the assassination of Hrant Dink and bring to Justice highly positioned and protected people who dare publicly endorse the murder in total impunity.
2. That the Turkish Government condemns publicly the threats over Human Rights defenders, mayors and members of Democratic Society Party and also the campaigns labelling them as traitors or disloyalty.
3. That all the judicial procedures engaged against journalists, academicians, politicians and others on the basis of article 301, 216 and 220/8 and other freedom-killer articles of the New Turkish Penal Code be abandoned.
4. That all the above mentioned law provisions be abrogated by the Parliament.
5. That the Turkish Government proceeds with constitutional reforms for redefining the Turkish citizenship, as stipulated in the conclusions of the official report on the rights of minorities and on cultural rights by the ad hoc commission of the High Council on Human Rights, a body established by Law in 2001 and under responsibility of Prime Minister.
6. That the Turkish State adopt and ratify the Framework Convention of the Council of Europe for the Protection of National Minorities and draft public policies in relation with ethnic, religious and cultural minorities in compliance with it.
7. That the Turkish Government establishes political dialogue with Kurds for settling a peaceful and democratic solution.

This resolution in Armenian