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Hrant Dink

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Hrant Dink
Հրանտ Դինք / Հրանդ Տինք
BornSeptember 15, 1954
Malatya
DiedJanuary 19, 2007
Istanbul
Occupation(s)newspaper editor, columnist and journalist
Notable credit(s)founder and editor-in-chief of Agos

Hrant Dink (Template:Lang-hy, pronounced "deenk"[1]) (September 15, 1954 – January 19, 2007) was an Armenian-Turkish editor, journalist and column writer. He came into prominence as the editor-in-chief of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspaper Agos, and thus became one of the prominent members of the Armenian minority in Turkey. He was assassinated on January 19, 2007 in the Istanbul district of Şişli, in front of the offices of the newspaper.[2] He left behind a wife and three children.

Early life

He was born in Malatya on 15 September 1954 to Serkis Dink (known as Haşim Kalfa), a tailor from Malatya, and Gülvart Dink, from Sivas. His mother's name was a combination of the words for "rose" in Turkish (Gül) and Armenian (Vart). [3] He was raised as an Armenian Apostolic Christian. [4] He had two brothers. His early childhood was spent in the care of his grandfather, whose picture Hrant kept close to his heart. His parents split because of his father's gambling problem, and this led Dink and his brothers to move to Istanbul at the age of seven where he would spend the rest of his life. In Istanbul, he was accepted to the Gedikpaşa Armenian Orphanage, where he met his future wife, Rakel, with whom he would have three children. He spent his next ten years in the orphanage and received his primary and secondary education in the schools of the Armenian community of the city. While he continued his high school education in Üsküdar Surp Haç Armenian High School, he was thrown out of school in his senior year because of suspected leftist activities, and he was compelled to complete his secondary education in the Şişli public high school.[3] In 1972, Dink changed his legal name to Fırat Dink to dissassociate his political activities from the Armenian community.[5] He later graduated from the Zoology department of Istanbul University. He then studied for a second Bachelor's Degree at the Philosophy Department at the same university, which he did not complete. Along with his wife, Hrant Dink started to manage the Tuzla Armenian Youth Camp.[6][7] During this period, Hrant Dink was taken into custody three times because of his political views.[6] Between 1980 and 1990, Dink operated a bookstore along with his brothers and stayed away from political activism.[6]

Editor of Agos

Following the transfer of the "Tuzla Armenian Youth Camp" administration after 21 years of operation to direct Ministry of Education control, he decided to become the voice of his community by founding and assuming the role of editor-in-chief of Agos weekly in Istanbul, a newspaper published in Armenian and Turkish. He tried to make it the democratic, opposition voice of Turkey, a voice used to inform the public of the injustices committed against the Armenian community. One of the major aims of the newspaper was to contribute to a dialogue between the Turkish and Armenian communities, as well as between Turkey and Armenia. Additionally, he wrote for the national dailies Zaman and BirGün.

At its inception, Agos had only 1,800 subscriptions. With his balanced editorials, the subscription increased to 6,000 in a very short time and included many Turkish subscribers. It became a medium of communication for reaching the Armenian community and for the Armenian community to make its voice heard.[3]

According to Hrant Dink, Agos helped the development of the Armenian community such that it helped triple the participation in the last Patriarchal elections, trained many journalists, became the community's face to Turkish society and cultivated many friends. He voiced his intention for an "Institute of Armenian Studies" in Istanbul.[8]

Editorial policy

Dink hoped his questioning would pave the way for peace between the two peoples:

I want to write and ask how we can change this historical conflict into peace. They don’t know how to solve the Armenian problem.[9]

He defended his constant challenge of established notions:

I challenge the accepted version of history because I do not write about things in black and white. People here are used to black (Genocide) and white (Denial); that’s why they are astonished that there are other shades, too.[9]

Armenian issues

Dink was one of Turkey's most prominent Armenian voices and, despite threats on his life, he refused to remain silent. He always said his aim was to improve the difficult relationship between Turks and Armenians.[10] Active in various democratic platforms and civil society organizations, Hrant Dink emphasized the need for democratization in Turkey and focused on the issues of free speech, minority rights, civic rights and issues pertaining to the Armenian community in Turkey. He was a very important peace activist. In his public speeches, which were often intensely emotional, he never refrained from using the word genocide when talking about the Armenian Genocide, a term fiercely rejected by Turkey.[11]

There are Turks who don't admit that their ancestors committed genocide. If you look at it though, they seem to be nice people… So why don't they accept it? Because they think that genocide is a bad thing which they would never want to commit, and because they can't believe their ancestors would do such a thing either.[12]

Hrant Dink believed that Diaspora Armenians should be able to live free of the weight of historical memory (the "residues of the past"), considering first and foremost the needs of the living majority (he said "eyes of the other side")[8]. Indicating that a show of empathy would have nothing to do with accepting or refusing the genocide, Dink called for dialogue:

Turkish-Armenian relations should be taken out of a 1915 meters-deep well.[8]

By pointing out issues of rhetorical discourse that hampered Armenian-Turkish dialogue, he believed these obstacles could be overcome to the benefit of Turkish Armenians. Dink's unique perspective has been described as a "four way mirror", simultaneously empathetic to people of the Armenian Diaspora, Republic of Armenia, and Turkey, as well as Turkish Armenians.[8]

Dink was not liked by radical Armenian Diaspora because of his oppositeness to the laws that make the genocide denial is a crime in France and Switzerland, as he was free to speak about genocide in Turkey.

Policy view

Hrant Dink promoted a policy of wider integration of Armenians into society. Critical of state injustices, he often underlined the fact that a stronger Turkey would be achieved through the elimination of discrimination. Even after his conviction for speaking of the Armenian genocide, Dink continued to value his community, city, and country, noting often that his analysis and criticism was in the interest of strengthening the country. He concentrated on the mismanagement of community institutions, tried to promote obtaining rights through legal means, and was always open to compromise, once noting, "After all, Turkey is very reluctant to concede rights to its majority as well."[8]

Trial

For his article called "Getting to know Armenia" (13 February 2004), he had stated:

"This trial is based on a total misunderstanding," Dink told Reporters Without Borders. "I never meant to insult Turkish citizens. The term in question was taken out of context and is only symbolic. The real subject of the article is the Armenian diaspora who, once they have come to terms with the Turkish part of their identity, can seek new answers to their questions from independent Armenia.[13]

In October 2005, Dink was convicted of "insulting Turkishness", ironically by writing an article in which he suggested to diaspora Armenians that it was time to rid themselves of their rage against Turks, a condition he considered himself free of, keeping himself emotionally healthy while at the same time knowing something of discrimination. The reference to "poisoned blood released from(Turkish term means displacement, removal) the Turk", used in the article by way of an Anatolian saying, resulted in a six-month suspended sentence.[14] His appeal on the ruling that found him guilty was rejected by a Turkish court on May 2006.[15]

Assassination

Despite his complaints, Dink was not receiving protection from the authorities.[16] However he had stated later on that he didn't make a formal request for protection saying that "he didn't want to lead a life being protected all the time". This was later confirmed by his lawyer, Erdal Doğan.[17] A week before the assassination, Dink wrote that he felt "nervous and afraid" because of the intensity of hate mail and threats he had been receiving. In his column in Agos he had written: "I see myself as frightened, the way a dove might be, but I know that the people in this country would never harm a dove."[18]

Dink was assassinated around 12:00 GMT as he was returning to the offices of Agos after having run some errands at a nearby bank.[19] According to eye witnesses, he was shot by a man of 25–30 years of age, who fired three shots at Dink's head from the back at point blank range before fleeing the scene on foot. According to the police, the assassin was a man of 18–19 years of age. Two men had been taken into custody in the first hours of the police investigation, but were later released.[7] Another witness, the owner of a restaurant near the Agos office, said the assassin looked about 20, wore jeans and a cap and shouted "I shot the infidel" as he left the scene, which implies that the assassination could have been the work of Islamist extremists,[20] and Dink's close friend Orhan Alkaya stated that the three-shot assassination technique was a signature mark of the Turkish Hezbollah.[21] Three people were taken into custody in relation with the murder later that day.[22]

Capture of the suspect

One day after the assassination, the police announced that the shooter had been identified in video footage collected through both Istanbul MOBESE electronic surveillance network (4000+ cameras throughout the city) and local security cameras, and released photos to the public (pictured on the right), urging every citizen to aid with the investigation.[23] On the same evening, Istanbul Governor Muammer Güler addressed the press to state that special investigation committees were pursuing nearly two dozen leads and the police were analyzing ten thousand phone calls made from the vicinity of the crime scene.

News agencies reported on Saturday, 18:22 GMT that the shooter has been identified as "Ogün Samast", a youth born in 1990 and registered as residing in Trabzon.[24] Samast's father identified him from the publicly released photos and alerted the authorities. Ten people, including Samast's father, have been taken into custody in Trabzon and will be transported to İstanbul on Sunday morning.[25] Later that evening at 19:55 GMT, news of Samast's capture in Samsun were announced. According to this preliminary news, Samast said the killing was a personal act and did not have any organizational agenda.[26] According to the news agencies, Republic attorney general of Samsun stated that the assassin has confessed his crime.[27]

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has also confirmed that the assassin Ogün Samast had been captured with the assassination weapon on him in Samsun. According to a Turkish news TV channel, the fugitive introduced himself as a student of Ankara University, and wanted to meet with Mr. Dink, but his request was rejected. It has been later understood that after rejection, he waited in front of a nearby bank for a while.[28][24] The Istanbul Criminology Department stated that from the empty shells, they found out that the assassination weapon has 7.65 milimeters of diameter and has never been used in another event before.[29]

Funeral

Dink's funeral will take place on January 23 2007 at the Kumkapı Armenian Church in Istanbul.[30] Turkish Government Members will be present at the funeral.[31]

Reactions

After the news of his assassination spread, condemnations came instantly from virtually all major political parties, government officials and NGOs in Turkey, as well as from many international observers.[32]

File:Lv354.jpg
Crowd protesting Dink's assassination in front of the Agos newspaper

 Turkey

  • The website of Agos is replaced with a black page with his photo, and its editorial staff stated: "there are no words to express our pain".[6]
  • Tens of thousands[33] of people marched in Istanbul from the Agos newspaper's office to the Taksim Square in a spontaneous protest of the assassination. According to the BBC protestors chanted "We are all Armenians, we are all Hrant Dink."[32][34][35] People marched in other cities (including Ankara, Antalya, Bursa, İzmir, and Trabzon) as well to protest the assassination. [36] [37]
  • All press outlets expressed outrage over the killing.[32] Some headlines: "The Murderer Is a Traitor" (Hürriyet), "Same Bloody Scenario" (referring to assassination of prominent journalists in the past) (Akşam), "It Was Turkey That Was Shot Dead" (Milliyet)
  • Columns in Turkish newspapers included Armenian in transliteration: Ahparik, Ahparik! [Armenian for "brother, brother!"] by Hadi Uluengin in Hurriyet, Tsidesutyun Paregamis! [Farewell My Friend!] by Can Dunar in Milliyet.
  • President Ahmet Necdet Sezer: "I am deeply saddened by the assassination of Hrant Dink in front of the Agos newspaper. I strongly condemn this ugly and shameful act.[32]
  • Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: "The dark hands that killed him will be found and punished."[38][32]
  • Armenian Patriarch of Turkey, Mesrob Mutafyan, declared 15 days of mourning for the Armenian community in Turkey.[20]
  • Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Bülent Arınç,[32]
  • Chief of General Staff Yaşar Büyükanıt.[39]
  • The Foreign Ministry: "We strongly condemn this act. Perpetrators will be caught in the shortest time (...) We offer condolences to the people of Turkey, its press, and particularly to the Armenian community and Dink's family."[40]

 Armenia and the Armenian diaspora

  • Armenian President Robert Kocharian: "The killing of this well-known Armenian journalist in Turkey raises numerous questions and deserves the strongest condemnation. We hope that the Turkish authorities will do everything possible to find and punish the culprit strictly in accordance with the law."[41]
  • Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian: "We are deeply shocked by the news of the assassination of Turkish Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, a man who lived his life in the belief that there can be understanding, dialogue and peace amongst peoples. We categorically condemn this act, regardless of the circumstances, and call on the Turkish authorities indeed to do everything to identify those responsible."[41][42]
  • Speaker of Armenia's parliament, Tigran Torosyan: "Following the murder, Turkey should not even dream about joining the European Union."[41]
  • Armenian Revolutionary Federation's Political Party in Armenia: "This killing once again proves the atmosphere of intolerance in Turkey even against the protection of state interests."[43]
  • Armenian National Committee of America:"Hrant Dink's murder is tragic proof that the Turkish government - through its campaign of denial, threats and intimidation against the recognition of the Armenian Genocide - continues to fuel the same hatred and intolerance that initially led to this crime against humanity more than 90 years ago," said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.[44]
  • Armenian Assembly of America[45]

International

  •  European Union: EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn: "I am shocked and saddened by this brutal act of violence," he said in a statement. "Hrant Dink was a respected intellectual who defended his views with conviction and contributed to an open public debate. He was a campaigner for freedom of expression in Turkey," he said.[32]
Vice President of the Barroso Commission Günther Verheugen said in a statement to reporters during his visit in Bursa, Turkey: "I severely condemn this act. I congratulate the Turkish government for their behaviour in this issue. Because I believe that all these misdeeds intended against Turkey will ultimately fail. It is my sincere belief that Turkey will do whatever is necessary to shed light on the issue." [46]
  •  United States: The United States embassy in Ankara also offered condolences to Dink's family, saying that "we are shocked and deeply troubled to hear that Hrant Dink was killed in an armed attack today in Istanbul." [47]
  •  France: French president, Jacques Chirac sent a letter to Dink's widow which said: "I can't express strongly enough how I condemn this abominable act, which deprives Turkey of one of its most courageous and free voices." [48]
  •  Germany: The German foreign ministry spread Germany's official statement on the assassination. "The EU Chairman-in-Office state is indignant at this disgusting murder and expresses its deep condolences to the family members and friends of Hrant Dink," reads the statement. "The Chairman-in-Office is sure that the Turkish authorities will reveal this criminal act as soon as possible and does not have slightest doubts that Ankara will keep on going through the way of fulfilling freedom of opinion," the statement says. [49]
  • Amnesty International: "This horrifying assassination silences one of Turkey's bravest human rights defenders"[50]
  • Reporters Without Borders: "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. "The Turkish government must weigh the extreme gravity of this crime and ensure that a thorough investigation identifies those responsible as quickly as possible."[51]
  • Committee to Protect Journalists: "Through his journalism Hrant Dink sought to shed light on Turkey’s troubled past and create a better future for Turks and Armenians. This earned him many enemies, but he vowed to continue writing despite receiving many threats," said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. "An assassin has now silenced one of Turkey’s most courageous voices. We are profoundly shocked and saddened by this crime, and send our deepest condolences to Hrant Dink’s family, colleagues, and friends."[52]
  • PEN American Center: "We are horrified," said Larry Siems, Director of Freedom to Write and International Programs at PEN American Center. "Hrant Dink was one of the heroes of the nonviolent movement for freedom of expression in Turkey—a movement in which writers, editors, and publishers have practiced civil disobedience by defying laws that censored or suppressed important truths in that country. Theirs is one of the most significant human rights movements of our time. Hrant Dink’s countrymen can help cement some of the gains he helped win for them by sending a strong, unified message that those responsible must be brought to justice for his murder."[53]

Awards

From the Agos website:[6]

  • 2005 Turkish Human rights organization "Ayşe Nur Zarakolu freedom of thought and speech"
  • 2006 German Henri Nannen Prize by Stern for "Freedom of thought and brave journalism"
  • 2006 Dutch Oxfam Pen Award for "Idea and thought"
  • 2007 Norwegian "Bjornson Human rights award"

See also

Wikinews has related news:

Notes and references

  1. ^ [1]Arsu, Sebnem, "Editor Who Spoke for Turkey's Ethnic Armenians Is Slain", The New York Times, January 20, 2007, page A3, accessed same day
  2. ^ ""Turkish-Armenian writer shot dead"". BBC News. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
  3. ^ a b c Emel, Armutçu (2005-10-02). "Hayatı, Resmi Olmayan Ermeni Tarihi" (in Turkish). Hürriyet. Retrieved 2007-01-19. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  4. ^ ""Turkey Arrests Suspect In Death Of Armenian Editor"". Reuters. Retrieved 2007-01-20.
  5. ^ Uskan, Arda (2005-02-10). "Apo'ya neden 'Kürt dölü' değil de 'Ermeni dölü' deniyor? (interview with Hrant Dink)" (in Turkish). Vatan. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
  6. ^ a b c d e Agos.
  7. ^ a b "Gazeteci Hrant Dink silahlı saldırıda öldü" (in Turkish). Hürriyet. 2007-01-19. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
  8. ^ a b c d e Oran, Baskın (2006-12-17). "The Reconstruction of Armenian Identity in Turkey and the Weekly Agos (Interview with Hrant Dink)". Nouvelles d'Armenie. Retrieved 2007-01-19. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |1= and |coauthors= (help)
  9. ^ a b By Robert Mahoney (2006-06-15). "Bad blood in Turkey" (PDF). Committee to Protect Journalists. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
  10. ^ "Fury in Turkey at editor's murder". BBC. 2007-01-19. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
  11. ^ "Hrant Dink, an Armenian who loved Turkey and the truth". Turkish Press. 2007-01-20. Retrieved 2007-01-20.
  12. ^ Hrant Dink (2006). Screamers (trailer of documentary). {{cite AV media}}: External link in |title= (help)
  13. ^ "Armenian journalist faces three years jail for insulting Turkish identity". Reporters without Borders, France. 2005-07-13. Retrieved 2007-01-16.
  14. ^ Bilgen Reinart, Üstün (2006-02-07). "Hrant Dink: forging an Armenian identity in Turkey". openDemocracy. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
  15. ^ BBC, Turkey turns down editor's appeal
  16. ^ BBC, Turkish-Armenian writer shunned silence
  17. ^ http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/5808478.asp?m=1&gid=112&srid=3428&oid=2
  18. ^ ""An Assassination Shocks Istanbul"". TIME. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
  19. ^ http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/5808478.asp?m=1&gid=112&srid=3428&oid=2
  20. ^ a b "Turkish-Armenian editor shot dead in Istanbul". Reuters. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
  21. ^ "Hrant Dink, Agos Gazetesi önünde silahlı saldırıda öldürüldü" (in Turkish). Milliyet. 2007-01-19. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
  22. ^ ""Istanbul governor says 3 arrested in connection with murder of journalist Hrant Dink"". IHT. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
  23. ^ "İşte aranan zanlı". NTVMSNBC. 2007-01-20. Retrieved 2007-01-20. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  24. ^ a b "Hrant Dink murder suspect caught". BBC News. BBC. 2007-01-20. Retrieved 2007-01-20.
  25. ^ "Zanlının kimliği belirlendi". NTVMSNBC. 2007-01-20. Retrieved 2007-01-20. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  26. ^ "Zanlı yakalandı". HABERTURK. 2007-01-20. Retrieved 2007-01-20.
  27. ^ "Samsun Cumhuriyet Başsavcısı: "Katil zanlısı suçunu itiraf etti"". CNNTURK. 2007-01-20. Retrieved 2007-01-20. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  28. ^ "Katil zanlısı Samsun'da yakalandı". CNNTURK. 2007-01-20. Retrieved 2007-01-20. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  29. ^ "Katil zanlısı yakalandı". NTVMSNBC. 2007-01-20. Retrieved 2007-01-20. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  30. ^ "Cenaze töreni salı günü" (in Turkish). Hürriyet. 2007-01-19. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
  31. ^ "Turkish Government Members to be Present At Hrant Dink's Funeral". PanArmenian.Net. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
  32. ^ a b c d e f g "Dink'in öldürülmesine tepki yağdı" (in Turkish). Hürriyet. 2007-01-19. Retrieved 2007-01-19. Cite error: The named reference "Reactions" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  33. ^ "İstanbul'da tarihi yürüyüş". İnternet Haber (in Turkish). January 10 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  34. ^ "Fury In Turkey At Editor's Murder" (in Turkish). BBC. 2007-01-19. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
  35. ^ "Hepimiz Ermeniyiz" (in Turkish). Hürriyet. 2007-01-19. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
  36. ^ "Türkiye cinayeti lanetledi" (Press release) (in Turkish). NTVMSNBC. 2007-01-20. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
  37. ^ "Nuncio to Ankara: "The assassination of Hrant Dink, an affront to Turkey"" (Press release). AsiaNews.It. 2007-01-20. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
  38. ^ "Turks grieve over journalist's killing". CNN. 2007-01-19. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
  39. ^ "Büyükanıt: Nefretle kınıyoruz" (in Turkish). Hürriyet. 2007-01-19. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
  40. ^ "Agos Gazetesi Genel Yayın Yönetmeni Hrant Dink´in Uğradığı Silahlı Saldırı hk" (Press release) (in Turkish). Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2007-01-19. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
  41. ^ a b c "Armenian anger at Turkish murder".
  42. ^ "RA MFA Shocked by Hrant Dink's Killing".
  43. ^ "ARF Dashnaktsutyun Condemns Hrant Dink's Murder".
  44. ^ "ANCA condemns murder of Hrant Dink".
  45. ^ "Armenian Assembly of America Statement Regarding the Assassination of Hrant Dink".
  46. ^ "Verheugen: "Olayı kınıyorum, Türkiye devletinin tavrını kutluyorum"".
  47. ^ "EU, U.S. shocked by assassination of Turkish journalist".
  48. ^ "Jacques Chirac letter to Dink's widow".
  49. ^ "Germany Indignant At Disgusting Assassination of Hrant Dink".
  50. ^ "Amnesty International Condemns Murder of Hrant Dink" (Press release). Amnesty International. 2007-01-19. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
  51. ^ "Deep shock over Turkish-Armenian editor's murder today in Istanbul". Reporters Without Borders. 2007-01-19. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
  52. ^ "Turkish-Armenian editor murdered in Istanbul".
  53. ^ "PEN Alarmed by Murder of Armenian-Turkish Journalist".
Portions of this article are drawn from the Turkish Wikipedia, including their article on Dink's assassination: tr:Hrant Dink cinayeti
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