Joe Biden: “at a time when we are witnessing the devastating consequences of ethnic and sectarian division in places such as Iraq…”

“at a time when we are witnessing the devastating consequences of ethnic and sectarian division in places such as Iraq and Darfur, I believe it is vital to recognize the efforts of those who work to promote peace and reconciliation. In that spirit, I wish to commend the 53 Nobel laureates who signed an appeal by the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity in support of ``tolerance, contact and cooperation between Turks and Armenians.'' In their appeal, the laureates call on both Turks and Armenians to take the steps necessary to open the Turkish-Armenian border, generate confidence through civil society cooperation, improve official contacts, and allow basic freedoms. As part of this commitment, the laureates call on Turkey to end all forms of discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities and abolish Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code. This provision has been used to take legal action against those who speak out about the Armenian genocide, including Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk and recently murdered Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. There is no question that article 301 contributed to the toxic political environment that led up to Mr. Dink's assassination in January. The laureates also note that ``Turks and Armenians have a huge gap in perceptions over the Armenian Genocide.'' To address this chasm of understanding, they call for further study and dissemination of a report prepared by the International Center for Transitional Justice.”