Ed Royce: “I rise to condemn the brutal murder of newspaper editor and leading figure in the Armenian genocide debate in Turkey…”

“I rise to condemn the brutal murder of newspaper editor and leading figure in the Armenian genocide debate in Turkey, Hrant Dink. Last Friday freedom of speech suffered a setback as Dink was shot three times in the head in broad daylight outside of his office. As a Turkish citizen of Armenian descent, he had gained notoriety in Turkish society for the court cases brought against him, in which he faced jail time for simply talking of that genocide. Nationalists see such statements, they say, as insults to the honor of Turks. Well, Dink was mourned worldwide, and journalists like him and Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk continue to be persecuted by suppressive laws that seek to stifle discussion on matters that are claimed to be insulting to Turkish identity. It is my sincere hope that the Turkish Government uses this tragedy to revisit its laws and open up to free speech. The laws themselves are a catalyst for this type of intolerance.”