Intellectuals from Turkey and overseas join to undersign a petition asking for lifting the sentence against Hrant Dink, the editor-in-chief of the Istanbul based Turkish-Armenian bilingual weekly newspaper Agos, who has recently received a suspended sentence of six months in jail.

Dink was found guilty by Istanbul Sisli court on 7 October 2005 for penning an article where he allegedly committed the crime of thought of insulting "Turkish identity".

The sentence was given in spite that the court-appointed experts could not find a single instance of such insult in Hrant Dink's comments

The group of intellectuals who undersign the petition perceive the sentence against dink a "threat against the exercise of the freedom of expression and thought" as it "comes right after the lawsuit brought against Ragıp Zarakolu for publishing a book by Dora Sakayan."

"Another case in point is the recent sentence of six months' imprisonment and monetary punishment brought against Reşit Yardımcı, the deputy president of the DEHAP party city headquarters in Şanlıurfa, for uttering 'good day to you' in Kurdish during a public talk," they say.

The group concludes: "All these instances reveal not only the flaws in the new Turkish penal code, but also its recent exploitation by those within the Turkish state bureaucracy who choose not to protect but instead attack the legal rights of Turkish citizens.

"We should point out that such legal actions are destructive signs employed by some insecure segments of society that hide behind the power of the Turkish state to intimidate those who do not share their views; this intimidation they engage in then often escalates into populist hate campaigns that even result in death threats against individuals like Dink, Zarakolu, Yardımcı and Pamuk.

"We want to note that in the end, such legal actions only end up displaying to the world Turkish insecurity about the exercise of the freedom of expression and thought. Turkey and Turkish society have come too far and deserve better than be held hostage to such retrogressive authoritarian ploys.

"We strongly believe that the legal protection of the civil rights of all Turkish citizens ought to be defended vigilantly for only through such protection and defense will the Turkish democratization process continue unfettered." (EK/YE)

____________________________

The full list of the petitioners are:

Dikran J. Abrahamian M.D.

Physician

Ontario

CANADA

Arzu Acar

Librarian

Maltepe University

TURKEY

Hülya Adak

Professor

Sabancı University

TURKEY

Fikret Adanır

Professor

Ruhr Universitaet Bochum

GERMANY

Janet Afary

Professor

Purdue University

USA

Ayşe Akalın

Doctoral Student

CUNY Graduate Center

USA

Engin Deniz Akarlı

Professor

Brown University

USA

Bahar Yiğitalp Akça

Professor

Yıldız Technical University

TURKEY

İsmet Akça

Research Assistant

Yıldız Technical University

TURKEY

Taner Akçam

Professor

University of Minnesota

USA

Gregoire Akian

Journalist and Producer

FRANCE

İlker Aktükün

Assistant Professor

İstanbul University

TURKEY

Edward Alexander

Diplomat and Author

Washington, D.C.

USA

Danende Alpar

Graduate Student

Middle East Technical University

TURKEY

Şahin Alpay

Professor

Bahçeşehir University

TURKEY

Emin Alper

Doctoral Student

Boğaziçi University

TURKEY

Özlem Altan

Doctoral Student

New York University

USA

Ayşe Gül Altınay

Professor

Sabancı University

TURKEY

Janine Altounian

Essayiste and Traductrice

Paris

FRANCE

Seda Altuğ

Doctoral Student

Utrecht University

HOLLAND

Jo Andrews

Director

Sigrid Rausing Trust

London

ENGLAND

Richard Antaramian

Doctoral Student

University of Michigan

USA

François Antounian, M.D.

Surgeon

San Francisco

USA

Suzy Antounian, J.D.

San Francisco

USA

Sima Aprahamian

Professor

Concordia University

Montreal

CANADA

Aram Arkun

Historian

New York

USA

Anthony Arnove

Brooklyn, New York

USA

Arman Artuç

Doctoral Student

CUNY Graduate Center

USA

Fulya Atacan

Professor

Yıldız Technical University

TURKEY

Christopher Atamian

Writer and Filmmaker

New York

USA

Serge Avedikian

Comedien-Realisateur

Paris

FRANCE

Armen Avetisyan

Scholar

SWITZERLAND

Aris Babikian

Journalist and Member,

National Ethnic Press

And Media Council

CANADA

Ursula Baertl

Lawyer and Historian

PERU

Adil Baktiaya

Assistant Professor

İstanbul University

TURKEY

Peter Balakian

Professor

Colgate University

USA

Evren Balta

Doctoral Student

CUNY - Graduate Center

USA

Kevork Bardakjian

Professor

University of Michigan

USA

Elazar Barkan

Professor

City University of New York

USA

David Barsamian

Director

Alternate Radio

Boulder, Colorado

USA

Tina M. Bastajian

Filmmaker and Researcher

The University of Amsterdam

HOLLAND

Ece Baykal

Graduate Student

Galatasaray University

TURKEY

Seyhan Bayraktar

Doctoral Student

Universität Konstanz

GERMANY

Ulaş Bayraktar

Research Assistant

Mersin University

TURKEY

Şeyla Benhabib

Professor

Yale University

USA

Vanik Berberian

Gargilesse

FRANCE

Uğurhan Berkok

Professor

Queen's University

CANADA

Halil Berktay

Professor

Sabancı University

TURKEY

Melissa Bilal

Doctoral Student

University of Chicago

USA

Mücahit Bilici

Doctoral Student

University of Michigan

USA

Donald Bloxham

Professor

University of Edinburgh

ENGLAND

Paul Boghossian

Professor

New York University

USA

Aida Boudjikanian

Geographer

Montreal

CANADA

Hamit Bozarslan

Professor

Ecole des Hautes Etudes

en Sciences Sociale

FRANCE

Esat Bozyiğit

Doctoral Student

Galatasaray University

TURKEY

Georges Broussalian

Professor

FRANCE

Ebru Bulut

Doctoral Student

Ecole des Hautes Etudes

en Science Sociale

FRANCE

Carol Burns

Writer

London

USA

Eyüp Can

Editor-in-Chief

Referans Newspaper

TURKEY

Grant Captanian

Real Estate Executive

New York

USA

Vicken Cheterian

Journalist

Geneva

SWITZERLAND

Noam Chomsky

Professor

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

USA

Anthea Chronea

Postgraduate Student

University of London

ENGLAND

Benedetta Contin

Graduate Student

Ca' Foscari University

Venice

ITALY

Anahit Coşkun

Professor

Koç University

TURKEY

Maral Coşkun

İstanbul

TURKEY

Koray Çalışkan

Boğaziçi University

TURKEY

Aslı Çalkıvık

Doctoral Student

University of Minnesota

USA

Zeynep Çatay

Professor

İstanbul Bilgi University

TURKEY

Balca Çelener

Doctoral Student

University Paris 1

Pantheon Sorbonne

FRANCE

Y. Doğan Çetinkaya

Doctoral Student

Boğaziçi University

TURKEY

Ela Çil

Professor

Yıldız Technical University

TURKEY

Ayça Çubukçu

Doctoral Student

Columbia University

TURKEY

Vahakn Dadrian

Historian

Zoryan Institute

USA

Umud Karaca Dalgıç

Doctoral Student

Northwestern University

USA

Touraj Daryaee

Professor

California State University, Fullerton

USA

Anahit Dasseaux Ter-Mesropian

Psychoanalyst

FRANCE

Sevan Demirjian

Graphic Designer

Paris

FRANCE

Derya Demirler

Program Assistant

(TESEV) Turkish Economic

Social Studies Foundation

TURKEY

Ani Değirmencioğlu

Graduate Student

Sabancı University

TURKEY

Bedross Der Matossian

Doctoral Student

Columbia University

USA

Khatchik Derghoukassian

Universidad de San Andes

ARGENTINA

Yves Dermenjıan

Professor

Universite de Provence

Marseille

FRANCE

Saro Devrenyan

Caroline Devrenyan

Karabet Devrenyan

Gangy

FRANCE

Teun van Dijk

Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Barcelona

SPAIN

Caner Doğan

Doctoral Student

State University of New York

Birmingham

USA

Anaid Donabendian

Professor

Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales

FRANCE

Denis Donikian

Writer and Editor

www.yevrobatsi.org

Anıl Duman

Doctoral Student

University of Massachusetts

Amherst

USA

Raymond Duvall

Professor

University of Minnesota

USA

Fuat Dündar

Doctoral Student

Ecole des Hautes Etudes

en Sciences Sociales

FRANCE

Hillary Earl

Professor

Nipissing University

CANADA

Carole Laura Ecuer

Association Chiche

Marseilles

FRANCE

Atom Egoyan

Film Director and Producer

CANADA

Howard Eissenstat

Lecturer

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

USA

Lerna Ekmekçioğlu

Doctoral Student

New York University

USA

Ayda Erbal

Doctoral Student

New York University

USA

Aylin Eren

Graduate Student

Boğaziçi University

TURKEY

Deniz Erkmen

Doctoral Student

University of Michigan

USA

Barış Erten

TURKEY

Yaman Ömer Erzurumlu

Student

University of Central Florida

USA

Nüket Esen

Professor

Boğaziçi University

TURKEY

Stephen Feinstein

Professor

Center for Holocaust and

Genocide Studies

University of Minnesota

USA

Aldo Ferrari

Ca' Foscari University

Venice

ITALY

Begüm Özden Fırat

Doctoral Student

Amsterdam School for

Cultural Analysis

HOLLAND

Andrew Finkel

Journalist

London

ENGLAND

Caroline Finkel

Historian

London

ENGLAND

Louis Fishman

Professor

Carleton College

USA

Marcello Flores

Professor

University of Siena

ITALY

Maureen Freely

Lecturer

University of Warwick

ENGLAND

Zeynep Gambetti

Professor

Boğaziçi University

TURKEY

Keith Garebian

Writer

Toronto

CANADA

David Gaunt

Professor

Södentörn University College

SWEDEN

Mark Gavoor

Corporate Executive

Connecticut

USA

Sandra Geelhoed

Researcher

Ecole des Hautes Etudes

en Sciences Sociales

Paris

FRANCE

Herve Georgelin

Historian

Paris

FRANCE

Burçin Gerçek

Journalist

İstanbul

TURKEY

Angelos Giannakopoulos

Lecturer and Research Assistant

University of Konstanz

GERMANY

Lynee Gildensoph

Professor

The College of St. Catherine

USA

Fatma Müge Göçek

Professor

University of Michigan

USA

Şule Gökçenay

Researcher

Yıldız Technical University

TURKEY

Özgür Gökmen

Doctoral Student

Universiteit Leiden

HOLLAND

Gerard Grigorian, M.D.

Medecin Nephrologue

Toulon

FRANCE

Fırat Güllü

Actor

TURKEY

Ayşe Günaysu

Human Rights Association of Turkey, İstanbul Branch;

Member of the Commission Against

Racism and Discrimination

TURKEY

Ali Güngör

Economist

Arlington, Virginia

USA

Azat Güven

Special Student Assistant

Victoria

CANADA

Dilek Güven

Historian

Ruhr Universitaet Bochum

GERMANY

Thea Halo

Author

USA

Alex Hammerslough

Student

Michigan

USA

Elmon Hançer

Professor

İstanbul Technical University

TURKEY

Hripsime Haroutinian

Lecturer

University of Chicago

USA

Dr. Claude Hatchikian

Directeur de Recherche au

CNRS (Centre National de la

Recherche Scientifique)

Marseille

FRANCE

Roger Heacock

Professor

Bir Zeit University

PALESTINE

Susan Hitch

Broadcaster

London

ENGLAND

Tessa Hofmann

Professor

Freie Universitaet Berlin

GERMANY

Carl Holtman

Editor

SteelOrbis

Istanbul

TURKEY

Ayşe Hür

Researcher

İstanbul

TURKEY

Armine Ishkanian

Lecturer

London School of Economıcs

ENGLAND

Güven İncirlioğlu

Professor

Yıldız Technical University

TURKEY

Ayşe Kadıoğlu

Visiting Professor

Oxford University

ENGLAND

Hasan Bülent Kahraman

Visiting Professor

Princeton University

USA

Isaac Kamola

Doctoral Student

University of Minnesota

USA

Susan Kang

Graduate Student

USA

Banu Karaca

Doctoral Student

CUNY Graduate Center

USA

Karin Karakaşlı

Writer

TURKEY

Özlem Karakaya

Gradute Student

Middle East Technical University

TURKEY

Olgu Karan

Doctoral Student

Middle East Technical University

Ankara

TURKEY

Michael Kennedy

Professor

University of Michigan

USA

Ferhat Kentel

Professor

İstanbul Bilgi University

TURKEY

Hanna Can Kerkini

Scholar

Minnesota

USA

Arsinee Khanjian

Actress

CANADA

Ohannes Kılıçdağı

Doctoral Student

Boğaziçi University

TURKEY

Sema Kılıçer

Helsinki Citizens Assembly

Ankara

TURKEY

Hans-Lukas Kieser

Visiting Professor

University of Bamberg

GERMANY

Kole Kilibarda

Researcher

Toronot

CANADA

Brenda Knapp

Graduate Student

University of Essex

ENGLAND

Kader Konuk

Professor

University of Michigan

USA

Rober Koptaş

Editor-in-Chief

Aras Publications

İstanbul

TURKEY

Asbed Kotchikian

Lecturer

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

USA

Dickran Kouymjian

Professor

California State University,

Fresno

USA

Erol Köroğlu

Post Doctoral Fellow

Sabancı University

TURKEY

Firuz Kutal

Graphic Designer

and Illustrator

Oslo

NORWAY

Zeynep Kutluata

Graduate Student

Sabancı University

TURKEY

Michèle Lardy

Maître de Conférences

Université Paris I

FRANCE

Bard Larsen

Master's Candidate

University of Oslo

NORWAY

Gerard Libaridian

Professor

University of Michigan

USA

Yoav Loeff

Scholar

ISRAEL

Ann Lousin

Professor

The John Marshall Law School

USA

Yahya Madra

Lecturer

Skidmore College

USA

Nazan Maksudyan

Doctoral Student

Sabancı University

TURKEY

Marc Mamigonian

Director

National Association for

Armenian Studies and Research

USA

Nahed Mansour

Graduate Student

University of Toronto

CANADA

Isabelle Marilier

Militante "Droits des Femmes"

Marseille

FRANCE

Rania Masri

Professor

University of Balamand

LEBANON

Wael Masri

Vice President

Teknitrade Ltd.

USA

Nadire Mater

Journalist

İstanbul

TURKEY

Nouritza Matossian

Author and Journalist

London

ENGLAND

Barbara J. Merguerian

Historian

Boston, Massachusetts

USA

Hercules Milas

Professor

University of Athens

GREECE

Claire Mouradian

Reseacher

CNRS

Paris

FRANCE

Khatchig Mouradian

Jourmalist

Beirut

LEBANON

Siobhan Nash-Marshall

Professor

University of St. Thomas

USA

Kaan Nazlı

Research Analyst

Eurasia Group, New York

USA

Anna Nikoyan

Doctoral Student

Universitee de la Mediterranee

FRANCE

Allen Odian

Physics Researcher

SLAC, Stanford University

USA

Arpi Ohanyan

Arman Ohanyan

Sevane Ohanyan

Taline Ohanyan

Arnouville Les Gonese

FRANCE

Baskın Oran

Professor

Ankara University

TURKEY

Kerem Öktem

Research Associate

University of Oxford

ENGLAND

Şemsa Özar

Professor

Boğaziçi University

TURKEY

Ferhunde Özbay

Professor

Boğaziçi University

TURKEY

Ceren Özgül

Doctoral Student

CUNY Graduate Center

USA

Ceren Özselçuk

Instructor and Doctoral Student

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

USA

Ece Öztan

Visiting Researcher

Universiteit van Amsterdam

HOLLAND

Çiğdem Öztürk

Doctoral Student

Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona

SPAIN

Murat Özyüksel

Professor

İstanbul University

TURKEY

Esra Özyürek

Professor

University of California,

San Diego

USA

Murat Paker

Professor

İstanbul Bilgi University

TURKEY

Razmik Panossian

Director of Programmes

Rights and Democracy

CANADA

Dennis Papazian

Professor

University of Michigan, Dearborn

USA

Aslı Peker

Doctoral Student

New York University

USA

Berna Pekesen

Doctoral Student

Ruhr Universitaet Bochum

GERMANY

Rubina Peroomian

Professor

University of California, Los Angeles

USA

Helene Piralian-Simonian

Psychoanalyst

Paris

FRANCE

Kadriye Ramazanoğlu

Doctoral student

Ecole des Hautes Etudes

en Sciences Sociales

FRANCE

Sigrid Rausing

Philantropist and Publisher

London

ENGLAND

Dalita Roger-Hacyan

Maitre de conferences

Universite Paris 1

FRANCE

Rudy Rummel

Professor

University of Hawaii

USA

Arpi Sahr-Sourian

Painter

Arlington, Virginia

USA

Alexis Saludjian

Economist

Paris

FRANCE

Ara Sarafian

Historian

Gomidas Institute

London

ENGLAND

Ezgi Sarıtaş

Student

Ankara

TURKEY

K. M. Greg Sarkissian

President

Zoryan Institute

CANADA

Nail Satlıgan

Assistant Professor

İstanbul University

TURKEY

Ozan Say

Graduate Student

Boğaziçi University

TURKEY

Ali Kerem Saysel

TURKEY

Bilge Seçkin

Graduate Student

Boğaziçi University

TURKEY

Elif Shafak

Writer and Professor

University of Arizona, Tucson

USA

Uli Schamiloglu

Professor

University of Wisconsin, Madison

USA

Maria Sharp

Retired Educator

Atlanta, Georgia

USA

George Shirinian

Director

Zoryan Institute

CANADA

Lorne Shirinian

Professor

Royal Military College of Canada

CANADA

Daniel Shoup

Doctoral Candidate

University of Michigan

USA

Christine Simone

New York, New York

USA

Hovann Simonian

Doctoral Student

University of Southern California

USA

Selçuk Akşin Somel

Professor

Sabancı University

TURKEY

Yunus Sözen

Doctoral Candidate

New York University

USA

Neslihan Sözer

Chemical Engineer

TURKEY

Talin Suciyan

Journalist

Istanbul

TURKEY

Haluk Sunat, M.D.

Psychiatrist and Writer

İstanbul

TURKEY

Ronald Grigor Suny

Professor

University of Michigan

USA

Aslı Sümer

Doctoral Student

Ecoles des Hautes Etudes

en Sciences Sociales

FRANCE

Özgür İlke Şanlıer

Doctoral Student

Anadolu University

Eskişehir

TURKEY

Zeynep Şarlak

Doctoral Student

Galatasaray University

TURKEY

Yücel Taşkın

Professor

Marmara University

TURKEY

Maryse Tchakmichian-Grigorian

Conceilier Municipal Toluon

FRANCE

Andre Tchiftchibachian

Research Fellow

Universite de Bretagne-Sud

FRANCE

Pierre Terziyan

Anahit Terziyan

Paris

FRANCE

Henry Theriault

Professor

Worcester State College

USA

Meltem Toksöz

Professor

Boğaziçi University

TURKEY

Gregory Topalian

Education Director and Writer

Melbourn

ENGLAND

Serdar Torlak

Doctoral Student

Paris 1 - La Sorbonne

TURKEY

Didier Torossian

Niort

FRANCE

John Torpey

Professor

CUNY Graduate Center

USA

Meline Toumani

Journalist

New York

USA

Yunus Tuncel

Professor

New York

USA

Yektan Türkyılmaz

Doctoral Student

Duke University

USA

Zeynep Türkyılmaz

Doctoral Student

University of California,

Los Angeles

USA

Nadya Uygun

Florida

USA

Hermine Uygun

Florida

USA

Uğur Ü. Üngör

Doctoral Student

University of Amsterdam

Center for Holocaust and

Genocide Studies

HOLLAND

Ayşe Üskül

Post Doctoral Fellow

University of Michigan

USA

Zafer Üskül

Boğaziçi University

TURKEY

Edouard Vartanian

Chevalier de la Legion

d'Honneur

FRANCE

Evangelos Venetis

Lecturer

University of Edinburgh

ENGLAND

Theo Ven Lint

Professor

Oxford University

ENGLAND

Ben Viccari

Journalist and Broadcaster

Toronto

CANADA

Huberta Von Voss

Journalist and Writer

Berlin

GERMANY