Turks Remember Hrant Dink

It seems like yesterday but it has indeed been more than a year since Hrant Dink was assassinated in Turkey. Here is an excerpt from a BBC article:

At a short ceremony led by Mr Dink's close friends and family, crowds of people marked his murder at 1457 (1257 GMT) on 19 January 2007 with a moment of silence outside the offices of the Agos newspaper.

The trial, which began in July, is being held behind closed doors because the alleged gunman, Ogun Samast, is 17 years old.

Mr Dink's family has accused the authorities of collusion, and the court is also considering allegations of a cover-up.

Shouldn't something as crucial as this trial, at least to Turkey's future as a member of the EU, be highly public so that the entire world can see whether justice is being served or merely covered up? This simply inspires more due suspicion from the Armenians, Turks, and the world at large.

Turkey to Change Article 301 Laws

This certainly won't bring Hrant Dink back nor return to Orhan Pamuk the time he lost overseas.

Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said a new bill would be put before the Turkish parliament in the coming days. The law, known as Article 301, bans perceived insults to Turkish identity or the country's institutions.

It has often been invoked by nationalists against those who argue the Ottoman empire committed genocide against Armenians. Earlier on Tuesday the European Commission said restrictions on freedom of expression were blocking Turkey's progress towards EU membership.

No, the Turks haven't decided to be decent: they just want to be a part of the EU really, really badly.

Source: BBC

Possible Imprisonment for Hrant Dink's Son

Will the madness ever stop?

The Istanbul prosecutor office urges up to 3 years of imprisonment for Arat Dink, the son of Hrant Dink. An action against Agos editor Arat Dink and his fellow Sargis Serobyan was brought for a repeated publication of Hrant Dink’s interview where he recognized the Armenian Genocide.

"The most absurd and dangerous is the fact that describing a historical event as 'genocide' is perceived as insulting Turkishness," Arat Dink said.

Absurd isn't quite the word I'd use to describe the laws and lack of freedoms in Turkey!

Source: PanArmenian

Turks Plotted to Kill Armenian Patriarch

This incident happened on the 40th day of Hrant Dink's death.

Two teenagers, arrested by Turkish police and identified as Volkan K. and Elmaz N... admitted they had gone to the church to kill the Armenian Patriarch of Turkey Archbishop Mesrop Mutafian.

The arrested are charged with illegal arms possession and shooting in the air with an aim to threaten. Prosecutors have opened a criminal case against both.

Are Turks drinking Jermuk or something else that is making them act crazy this year?

Source: ArmenPress

The Armenia Tree Project!

The Armenia Tree Project was founded in 1994 by Carolyn Mugar with the primary goal of reforestation. Put simply, they plant lots of trees! How many? In 2005 alone they planted over 170,000 of them!

But it gets better than that. You see, the Armenia Tree Project also benefits local populations. One way they do it is with the help of villagers and families, who grow seeds in their backyards. Once they are ready to be planted outside of these mini-nurseries, the Armenia Tree Project buys the seedlings and tress and hires local workers to help plant them. So you see, this charity benefits hundreds upon hundreds of people, dozens of communities, and Mother Armenia and all of its present and future children!

I should also mention that they are now creating a memorial forest to remember the late Hrant Dink. 53,000 trees are to be planted, 1,000 for each of his 53 years.

Here's the website: Armenia Tree Project

Hrant Dink Legislation in Senate in March

Here's some more information:

The resolution, S.Res.65, specifically mentions that Hrant Dink "was prosecuted under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code for speaking about the Armenian Genocide," and urges the Turkish government to repeal this anti-free speech law. It will be "marked up" by the Committee on Tuesday, March 6th at 2:15 p.m.

Given the government's pro-Turkey stance, what do you think will be the outcome of this attempt?

Source: PanArmenian

Light Sentence for Hrant Dink's Killer

Is this really perceived as justice in Turkey?

Ogun Samast, who is being accused of assassinating "Agos" Armenian-Turkish bilingual weekly editor-in-chief Hrant Dink, most likely will escape life imprisonment. The juvenile offender is threatened with a 24-year-term imprisonment, and most likely he will be freed after 9 years.

This sounds like a joke. If Turkey hopes to show good will towards Armenians as it claims, then a real sentence must be imposed. Then again, once he is freed, he will most likely be killed - if not during his time in jail.

Source: PanArmenian

Hrant Dink's Trial Continues

Yes, you read that correctly.

...after about three weeks after the assassination of Agos Armenian-Turkish newspaper editor Hrant Dink, the Sisli circuit court of Istanbul resumed legal proceeding against Dink, who was earlier accused of "insulting Turkishness" and handed a 6 months’ suspended sentence. The Turkish Court of Appeal agreed with the sentence but changed it stating that 15 people who brought in the suit can’t be considered plaintiffs, since the "insult" was not targeted at them.

...the Sisli court fulfilled the order of the Supreme Court and decreed that the individuals who took the action are not plaintiffs. However, a judge said that Dink’s death was not officially registered in the court records and postponed the hearing to June 14.

How long does it take to record one of the most heinous of assassinations in recent memory?

Source: PanArmenian

U.S. Pushes Turkey for Relations With Armenia

This is something I didn't see coming.

"The issue of trying to use the tragedy of Hrant Dink’s murder to improve relations with Armenia is a major focus of our relationship with Turkey right now," Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza told RFE/RL.

"We want a real discussion so no one can deny what happened [in Ottoman Turkey,] while at the same time improving bilateral relations between Armenia and Turkey,” he said in a phone interview. “All of that should happen without preconditions by anybody."

Of course, Turkey will have none of that. Still, I have high hopes for the Genocide Resolution. It is very sad that Hrant Dink's murder can be used politically, but Turkey's initial reaction was obviously not indicative of their true motives.

Source: ArmeniaLiberty

Turkish Policemen Fired Over Videotape

Before you get upset with the picture above, let me explain that it shows Hrant Dink's killer, center, with policemen on either side. Why are they portraying a killer with the national flag on video?

Two Turkish security officials lost their jobs on Monday in a widening investigation into video footage that appeared to portray as a hero the teenage killer of a prominent Turkish-Armenian editor.

The video footage has revived fears in Turkey of a shadowy "deep state" working in collusion with criminal gangs. The "deep state" is code for hardline nationalists purportedly based in the security forces who are ready to break the law if need be in defense of their ideology.

Turkey's internal state is very confusing to me. Can it really be the case that ultranationalists have penetrated deep into Turkey's security forces?

Source: ArmeniaLiberty

Hrant Dink's Agos Newspaper Receives Death Threats

Even though many took to the streets in support of condemning Hrant Dink's murder, there are some who want more.

Employees of the bilingual “Agos” weekly said they received a letter late Wednesday that described Dink as an “enemy dog” and warned that anyone calling World War One-era massacres of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey a genocide will meet his fate.

“If you fail to exercise caution, many of your other dogs will also die,” read the letter signed by the obscure Turkish Revenge Brigade (TIT). “We have enough explosives to send the ‘Agos’ building skywards.”

“If you claim to have endured a genocide in 1915, then you don’t know what a genocide is. A real genocide will begin now,” it said.

The newspaper will not be swayed, even if a small group of ultranationalist pigs believe otherwise. I'm convinced that Turkey is on the verge of enormous change, but I fear that more killings of the sort will take place in the meantime.

Source: ArmeniaLiberty

Turkish Daily News Writes in Armenian

Can someone check on hell and see if it has frozen over?

Turkish Daily News, one of the most influential newspapers in Turkey, issued an article titled in the Armenian language "Goodbye Hrant, we are all Armenians" (Mınasparov Hrant Polorıs Hay Yenk). The article was dedicated to the funeral of Hrant Dink.

"Tens of thousands of mourners gathered for a last farewell to murdered journalist Hrant Dink in Osmanbey, one of the central districts of Istanbul where he was shot in front of his newspaper's office building, Agos," the newspaper says.

This could be the beginning of something good, but only if we do not forget that we still have a stained past with Turkey that must first be addressed and resolved.

Source: PanArmenian

Turkey Wants Armenia's Friendship

There is no question that this "friendliness" is politcally motivated, as Hrant Dink's death has brought Turkey much criticism. Regardless, here's what one didn't expect to hear:

"Turkey aspires to enjoy friendly ties with all of its neighbors on the basis of mutual trust and respect and we want to establish ties with Armenia as well." [said Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül]

But he noted that Armenia should not come up with unfair demands from Turkey – such as the recognition by Ankara of the alleged genocide of Armenians at the hands of Ottoman Empire – in return for normalization of bilateral ties. On genocide claims, Gül repeated the Turkish government's proposal to set up a joint commission of Turkish and Armenian academics to study allegations.

Translation: "We need you to show the world - and the EU - that we're decent people who love all, whether Armenian, Greek, Kurd, or otherwise. Turkey would love to be your friend, if only you revise your history to our acceptable standards using our prepared documents. Deal?"

No deal without precondition. Of course, Armenia disagrees.

Source: Turkish Daily News

Hrant Dink Murder Suspect Caught!

Here's the latest:

The governor of Istanbul said police captured Ogun Samas on a bus in the Black Sea port city of Samsun. Mr Samas was earlier named as the suspect pictured in security camera images near the scene of the killing.
He said Mr Samas, whom he said was born in 1990, will be brought to Istanbul for questioning.

Mr Guler said six other people will also be questioned in the morning. The governor emphasised that the suspect had been seized after 32 hours, and as a result of the pictures caught on the security cameras.

Let's hope total justice is served, even though no amount of punishment can bring back anyone who is gone.

Source: BBC

Hrant Dink Killed in Turkey

This is what we know so far:

A prominent Turkish-Armenian editor, convicted in 2005 of insulting Turkish identity, has been shot dead outside his newspaper's office in Istanbul. The US, EU and Armenia have condemned his murder and Turkey's leaders vowed to bring those responsible to justice.

"A bullet has been fired at democracy and freedom of expression," Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a hastily convened news conference.

Dink was given a six-month suspended sentence in October 2005 after writing about the Armenian genocide of 1915. Dink was among dozens of writers in Turkey who have been charged under 301 of Turkey's penal code with insulting Turkish identity, often for articles dealing with the killing of Kurds and Ottoman Armenians.

This is a real tragedy and shows just how much Turkey has to change before it should even be considered as an ally of Armenia, the EU, or the world.

A big thanks to Sassna and Khoren for suggesting the story as it broke.

Source: BBC