Editorial- I oppose Mehmet Ali Agca's release, but...

I am vehementaly opposed to the release of Mehmet Ali Agca. He is known universally as the man who tried to shoot Pope John Paul the 2nd,  but he was also convicted of murdering Abdi Ipekci, an editor for Milliyet newspaper in 1979. I was actually living in Turkey when the slaying of Ipekci occured. It was a shocking incident at a time when the country was suffering from violent political clashes between right wingers and left wingers. Agca was involved with militant right wing groups. Both were responsible for causing more political unrest in Turkey than there already was. I have seen some ridicilous statements on an AOL message board, including why Agca's release 'justifies the death penalty here' (I almost laughed at that one) and why 'people should not go to Turkey.' I responded to the later by saying that would be like saying don't go to Los Angeles because they did not convict O.J. Simpson and that he was using this news as a reason to express racist views towards Turkey that he already had. Turkey has come a long way with human rights. They abolished the death penalty a few years ago. But, I fear this move, may give Turkish conservatives cause to take steps in the other direction. In Turkey, politics is a very sensitive thing and no one wants to sit on their side of the see-saw too long. Ironically, Mr. Ipekci was one of Turkey's leading liberal voices at the time of his homicide.