Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it was deeply shocked by the murder of Hrant Dink, editor and columnist of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos.

"This murder will distress and disturb all those who defend the freedom of thought and expression in Turkey and elsewhere," the press freedom organization said.

"This will be a key test for a country that hopes to join the European Union. No one would understand if Turkey failed to do everything possible to shed light on this tragedy", it added.

International PEN

PEN International described the incident as "appalling" and added that "Dink's fellow writers worldwide express their profound shock at this terrible loss".

Jiri Grusa, International President of International PEN, the world association of writers, called the murder "a symptom of old hatreds that threaten the relationship of all Turkish people to the democratic values shared in Europe and the world."

Hrant Dink was well known to PEN members throughout the world and had received many awards for his courage, including, most recently, the Oxfam/Novib award for Freedom of Expression in November 2006.

He was an honorary member of the English, American, Belgian Dutch and Norwegian PEN Centres, and friend to many more PEN Centres and individual PEN members around the globe.

Both organizations called for a through and impartial investigation into the murder and that Turkish authorities ensure those responsible are brought to justice.(EÜ)