Honoring Hrant Dink
I wrote a full blog with my initial reaction to this tragedy, but it's not necessary. The only thing I can do is now call on the Turkish people to learn about the facts of our history, learn about the genocide. Let's face the truth and put the lies behind us. Aren't we tired of this? Aren't the Turks tired of covering this up? Since AIPRG's conference on the impact of opening the Turkey-Armenia border, we in Armenia have been talking about economy, pushing forward, growth, and stability. All a waste of breathe as Turkey continues to blockade us.
Today over lunch, I discussed with friends the potential for growth, but we kept getting drawn back to the issue of genocide recognition. Just yesterday and today Raffi N and I were talking about the importance of those speaking out in Turkey, how genocide recognition will be realized from within Turkey and those speaking out (Hrant Dink, Orhan Pamuk, Sibel Edmonds, etc.) will lead the way.
The Turkish Ambassador to the US is now speaking on CNN and condemning the killing of Dink as did Prime Minister Erdogan. It's very convenient that the Turkish government now has the opportunity to speak out against this behavior (people attacking free speech) and exploit the topic as example of how they are moving toward democracy and free speech... and yet managed to illiminate the voice at the same time. Dink received threats as deep as the state itself for which he received no protection, and yet everyone is chasing after an "18-19 year old suspect who acted alone."
Reports also state that the US Congress plans to vote on a resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide as now Speaker Pelosi stands strong on the issue. America, your move.
Today over lunch, I discussed with friends the potential for growth, but we kept getting drawn back to the issue of genocide recognition. Just yesterday and today Raffi N and I were talking about the importance of those speaking out in Turkey, how genocide recognition will be realized from within Turkey and those speaking out (Hrant Dink, Orhan Pamuk, Sibel Edmonds, etc.) will lead the way.
The Turkish Ambassador to the US is now speaking on CNN and condemning the killing of Dink as did Prime Minister Erdogan. It's very convenient that the Turkish government now has the opportunity to speak out against this behavior (people attacking free speech) and exploit the topic as example of how they are moving toward democracy and free speech... and yet managed to illiminate the voice at the same time. Dink received threats as deep as the state itself for which he received no protection, and yet everyone is chasing after an "18-19 year old suspect who acted alone."
Reports also state that the US Congress plans to vote on a resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide as now Speaker Pelosi stands strong on the issue. America, your move.
posted by Arsineh at 10:47 PM
7 Comments:
Real quick, one more thing. I'm watching more news and it seems flocks of Turks have taken to the streets protesting Dink's murder and showing their support. I think we were right, change will come from within. If Turkey continues down this path, there is hope for peace in this region after all. I look forward to the day I can visit Turkey without regret.
I am writing to you from Turkey, and watching everything live right now. There are 10s of thousands of people, maybe over 100,000. People are chanting "We are all Hrant, We are all Armenian"
I have to tell you this was a big shock to the whole country. These "un-solved murders" used to happen a lot in Turkey before, but for it to happen now is very disturbing.
Not that I change my view on genocide, or anything, but Hrant Dink was considered a patriot of Turkey.
The ultra-nationalists are cowering right now, there's a lot of reaction against them. There's also a lot of reaction against the government, but there's nothing to it. Our PM has more important agendas like turning our country into an Islamic state.
Still, 10000s of people chanting "We are all Armenians" right now. Honestly I am amazed myself
Astvads hokin lusavore...
Hello!
Just thought i would add a comment as i found this blog quite by accident and have been reading it, it's really interesting. :) i just spent a year living in Russia and seemed to discover a lot about Armenia during that time and am really interested in your homeland, it's like i feel a connection to it too, even though as far as i know i'm not Armenian at all.
Anyway, i have been reading up on the genocide issue too and i totally agree with you - being in the UK now (my home country) i am totally disgusted with the way Tony Blair is going on about helping Turkey join the EU and doesn't even mention the genocide. I am thinking about writing to my MP about it. It is a totally disgraceful situation.
My best wishes to Armenia and i hope your country will make its way out of all the problems it faces at present.
I am a Turk and I come with peace, I have been crying for 2 days because I loved Hirant and I thought of him as a Turkish democracy warrior because he was unjustly tried by the ultra-fascists because his words were taken out of context.
I'm extremely sorrowed by his loss as are thousands of people like kalem said , because the 301th law he was tried on takes our freedom of speech. So I'm as sad as you, because I live in Istanbul and I live with these problems everyday. They've caught the killer right now, and he seems to be an ultra-nationalist lowlife scum, but know that in istanbul there were thousands of people protesting and screaming "we are all hirant, we are armenians" and you know it's a hard thing to get turks say that, or make them gather in thousands, everybody seems to be sincerely and honestly shocked and horrified by this incident.
I've got to say that He is a victim of OPPRESSIVE NATIONALISM throughout the world, he is a martyr, not only for the Armenian world, but he's a martyr for democracy and free speech and peace in Turkey & World!! I will be attending his funeral.. God bless his soul!
I strongly believe that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should have come up with the statement that in addition to condoning the murder of Hrant Dink, it would say the following:
“let the death of Hrant Dink be a wake up call for both our peoples and let his death be the last one in a treacherous Armenian – Turkish relationship. Armenian people have suffered a lot in the last 100 years, went through genocide, a loss of 1.5 million lives, but is ready to extend the olive branch and start a new chapter, a peaceful chapter in its history. We want to commemorate the death of great Turkish Armenian, by continuing the process he started, by reconciling our relationships.”
arsineh,you can visit Turkey without regret.Please do not hasitate.Many armenians come to Turkey and stay here.Nobody see them as an enemy.
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