Istanbul Armenian community mourns the killed soldier

[Ari]

Ethnic Armenian, 25-year-old Sevag Sahin Balikçi, who was killed in a Turkish military unit on April 24, the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, was buried in Istanbul’s Sisli district cemetery on April 27. A service was offered at Surb Vardanants Armenian Church.
According to Radikal newspaper, both Armenians and Turks attended the funeral. Wreaths were sent from the military, local authorities as well as from Istanbul Mayor. Coadjutor of the Constantinople Patriarch, archbishop Aram Ateshyan and Hrant Dink’s widow Rakel Dink were also present.
Reports on Sevag’s death are contradicting. One report says that he was killed “because of careless use of weapon”, another report testifies that the Armenian was shot dead. Investigation into the death is under way.
“I want the truth to come out as soon as possible. I don’t think it happened when they were joking around. I knew Sevag really well. He was not someone who would joke around with guns,” his fiancée Melani Kumruyan said.

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[Mos]

Re: Istanbul Armenian community mourns the killed soldier

Haven't seen you in a while, are you back officially?

[KanadaHye]

Re: Istanbul Armenian community mourns the killed soldier

Video of the funeral held at Istanbul’s St. Vartan Church

http://massispost.com/?p=2836

The Armenian church was crowded this Wednesday afternoon, with high-ranking officers of the Turkish army alone occupying four rows. With their hats in the hands, they stood proudly, listening to an Armenian liturgy.

Numerous Turkish media had come to cover the requiem service for the ethnic Armenian soldier of the Turkish army, some television companies were carrying a live coverage of the event.

Raffi Hermon Araks, a prominent member of the community, described such great media interest in a soldier killed in the ranks in Turkey as “rare”.

Araks, who is a deputy of the district council of elders and a senior advisor to the mayor of Princes’ Islands, told ArmeniaNow: “Of course, I do not mean to say it as a consolation, but in the Turkish army as well as in all other armies in the world such incidents do happen. But this case generates more attention since it is impossible to overlook the fact that Sevak was an Armenian Christian and the killer was a Turk and that the killing took place on April 24. But it is meaningless to jump to conclusions now. It is too early yet.”

[Ari]

Re: Istanbul Armenian community mourns the killed soldier

Here and there Mos, not here all the time

We read this in the Agos paper today, very sad news killing us watching the clip

Condolences to his finance family and friends