The American Spectator

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(Page 7 of 14)

/p> p> HEINOUS CRIMES br> Re: Christopher Orlet's Turkish Blood and Lawrence Henry's First Principles: Why We Fight : /p>

The murder of Hirant Dink, an Armenian-Turkish journalist in Istanbul, is a heinous crime, and the murderer(s) should be brought to justice. One thing is certain, though, his murder is in no way in the interest of Turkey.

You state that the murderer must have been alone and was not part of a sophisticated group because his gun and hat were found on him. Is this perhaps because some people wanted to pin him with the murder plot, as well as pulling the trigger? When Mehmet Ali Agca shot and wounded Pope John Paul II in Rome in 1981, there were similar cries of "murderous Turks." Yes, he did pull the trigger, yet it was found out that he was an agent of Russian/Bulgarian underworld organizations.

In 1973, an Armenian-American named Sassoonian assassinated Mehmet Baydar, the Consul General of Turkey in Los Angeles. There were dozens of other Turkish diplomats who were killed by Armenians around the world. Surely you will agree that such senseless murders are reprehensible, regardless of who the murderers or their victims are. Sassoonian is now in jail for life; so should the murderer of Hirant Dink be.

p>Turks have stated their outrage at this murder by holding demonstrations and crowding the spot where Mr. Dink was killed with candles and flowers. No one in their right mind condones this murder. Perhaps, one good thing that might come out of this sad episode is that the infamous Article 301 will be lifted from the Turks' lawbooks. br> -- Mrs. Erkin Baker

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