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Esteemed Prime Minister RecepTayyip Erdogan:
In a letter to Erdogan, Rakel Dink decries slow
pace of investigation into Hrant Dink’s murder
The following is the text of a letter
sent on April 18 to Turkey’s prime
minister.
Esteemed Prime Minister RecepTayyip Erdogan:
Though three months have passed
since the assassination of my husband
Hrant Dink, it is astonishing
to see justice pretending to make
progress: moving so slowly, as if it
were trying to lull us to sleep.
Especially because of the personal attention
shown by yourself, and the
determination in your statements
immediately after the murder, we
thought for one instance that the
conduct of the state had changed:
that the state was now determined
to establish justice firmly...
Justice, as you well know, is a
foundation block. If justice is to be
the underlying basis for property, it
must operate in all its aspects, without
discrimination among people...
The point is all the more important
because my beloved husband’s
death did not come as a result of
war, a violent clash or conflict.
He was singled out, with purpose and
deliberation, before being shot in
the back.
While he was alive a minister
of the state declared him a
traitor; and now, even after his assassination,
a soldier and military
officer of the state can still call him
a traitor (I refer to the speech of
the Giresun Gendarmerie Regional
Commander, at the funeral of a
soldier killed in action on April 9).
The state’s police and gendarmerie
-- those who are charged with the
responsibility of catching the murderer
-- vie to have their pictures
taken with the gunman in the murder,
all posing together before the
flag of Turkey, as in a poster.
Do you have courage enough
to prevent this kind of discourse,
this type of behavior? Unless this
type of discourse changes, we will
never save babies from growing up
to become murderers.
Surely such scenes are unfit for an honorable
and dignified state; but it follows
that as this state’s Prime Minister,
it is incumbent upon you and your
colleagues to elevate the state’s dignity
and honor.
Please let us know what resort
we have, as citizens. States which
have issued condemnations over
the murder have also been called
treacherous; so does the state of
Turkey actually approve of this
murder, instead of condemning it?
My children and I, we demand
an answer.
All of us, and the entire nation, will
find out eventually, if the investigation
reaches deep enough. Do not
let it turn out like earlier murders,
which were covered up; that would
leave us little hope for Turkey. Taking
into account the events of the
last three months, the investigation
would have to include not only the
Police General Directorate, but also
the Gendarmerie, the National Intelligence
Organization (MIT), and a
political party together with its affiliated
youth arm. Therefore, we expect
you to place the investigation
in the charge of the Prime Ministerial
Inspection Committee, a body
that has broader authority [over the
bodies cited earlier].
1. My husband stated in his last
two articles why and by whom he
had been chosen as a target. He
wrote that he had been “warned and
threatened” by two persons in Assistant
Governor Ergun Güngör’s room.
We lived through this trying period
as a family, together with my husband.
It is reported in the press and
in the information we have received
that the people who made the “warning”
were from the MIT (or, one was
from the MIT, one from the police).
Even though this “warning” came
true on January 19, 2007 -- in the exact
manner stated by the people who
issued the “warning” -- no investigation
has been filed against them.
I would hereby like to issue a formal
complaint against the assistant
governor and these persons.
2. Certain claims have revealed
that Erhan Tuncel, one of the instigators,
was an assisting intelligence
member paid by the police, and that
he was also engaged in similar affairs
with the Gendarmerie and MIT. Do
you regard it as normal that a stateemployed
person could simultaneously
prepare murder plans, that
state institutions could be aware of
these plans -- and that the state still
would not take any action?
I demand an inquiry and investigation
into the persons who
trained this person, from both the
Gendarmerie, the MIT and the police;
into the affiliations of this person;
and into who nominated him
to prepare plans for the murder of
my husband.
3. Does it seem strange to you
that the BBP (the Great Union
Party) and the Alperen Association
have some relationship with almost
everyone involved in the incident?
I demand that these relationships
be investigated, and the responsible
persons be punished.
4. As far as it is known through
the investigation conducted in Istanbul,
Ankara was aware of the
information given by Erhan Tuncel
regarding the details of the murder
plan and the telephone records of
the murderers, but did not take any
measure to prevent the murder or
to protect my husband -- either in
Istanbul or in Trabzon.
Therefore, I demand an investigation
be filed in Ankara also, to
determine the people responsible
in Ankara.
In sum, since we have seen that
the investigations have proved
insufficient, I repeat my demand
above and request you to charge
the Prime Ministerial Inspection
Committee with an extensive and
efficient investigation of the assassination
of my husband, the situation
before and after the murder,
and the process of its planning.
Mr. Prime Minister: The deep
sorrow I suffer due to the assassination
of my beloved husband
cannot be possibly rendered into
words. My wish from God our
Father is that you and your colleagues
may comprehend my grief.
May the Holy Spirit speak to you
day and night, to lead you to the
right path in your decisions and
actions, and give you the courage
to proceed along this path with a
strong will.
Mr. Prime Minister: I address
the governors and future governors
of Turkey in your name, with
the words* of Solomon the Wise:
“Where are the lion-hearted? Where
are the wise and learned ones, to
restore order? Where are those that
oppose evil and appreciate justice?
Where are the truthful, to inherit
benefaction? Where are the men of
honor, those to be trusted? Where
are those who do not act on influence?
Where are the people to establish
justice?”
Where are those who want to be
superior? Let them prove their superiority
with what they have done,
and what they will do later on...
I ask the governors of Turkey:
Which excellence from Solomon’s
proverbs will you leave for our
children, who will be the future of
Turkey?
The words of our God, Jesus,
state: “Blessed are the peacemakers:
for they shall be called the children
of God. Blessed are they which
are persecuted for righteousness’
sake: for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven”(Matthew 5:9-10).
Mr. Prime Minister, I would like
to thank you in advance for your
interest and efforts, whether they
prove useful or not.
Respectfully,
Rakel Dink 18-04-2007
* Mrs. Dink appears to be creating a
montage of Solomonic imagery, combining
elements found in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.
In a letter to Erdogan, Rakel Dink decries slow
pace of investigation into Hrant Dink’s murder
The following is the text of a letter
sent on April 18 to Turkey’s prime
minister.
Esteemed Prime Minister RecepTayyip Erdogan:
Though three months have passed
since the assassination of my husband
Hrant Dink, it is astonishing
to see justice pretending to make
progress: moving so slowly, as if it
were trying to lull us to sleep.
Especially because of the personal attention
shown by yourself, and the
determination in your statements
immediately after the murder, we
thought for one instance that the
conduct of the state had changed:
that the state was now determined
to establish justice firmly...
Justice, as you well know, is a
foundation block. If justice is to be
the underlying basis for property, it
must operate in all its aspects, without
discrimination among people...
The point is all the more important
because my beloved husband’s
death did not come as a result of
war, a violent clash or conflict.
He was singled out, with purpose and
deliberation, before being shot in
the back.
While he was alive a minister
of the state declared him a
traitor; and now, even after his assassination,
a soldier and military
officer of the state can still call him
a traitor (I refer to the speech of
the Giresun Gendarmerie Regional
Commander, at the funeral of a
soldier killed in action on April 9).
The state’s police and gendarmerie
-- those who are charged with the
responsibility of catching the murderer
-- vie to have their pictures
taken with the gunman in the murder,
all posing together before the
flag of Turkey, as in a poster.
Do you have courage enough
to prevent this kind of discourse,
this type of behavior? Unless this
type of discourse changes, we will
never save babies from growing up
to become murderers.
Surely such scenes are unfit for an honorable
and dignified state; but it follows
that as this state’s Prime Minister,
it is incumbent upon you and your
colleagues to elevate the state’s dignity
and honor.
Please let us know what resort
we have, as citizens. States which
have issued condemnations over
the murder have also been called
treacherous; so does the state of
Turkey actually approve of this
murder, instead of condemning it?
My children and I, we demand
an answer.
All of us, and the entire nation, will
find out eventually, if the investigation
reaches deep enough. Do not
let it turn out like earlier murders,
which were covered up; that would
leave us little hope for Turkey. Taking
into account the events of the
last three months, the investigation
would have to include not only the
Police General Directorate, but also
the Gendarmerie, the National Intelligence
Organization (MIT), and a
political party together with its affiliated
youth arm. Therefore, we expect
you to place the investigation
in the charge of the Prime Ministerial
Inspection Committee, a body
that has broader authority [over the
bodies cited earlier].
1. My husband stated in his last
two articles why and by whom he
had been chosen as a target. He
wrote that he had been “warned and
threatened” by two persons in Assistant
Governor Ergun Güngör’s room.
We lived through this trying period
as a family, together with my husband.
It is reported in the press and
in the information we have received
that the people who made the “warning”
were from the MIT (or, one was
from the MIT, one from the police).
Even though this “warning” came
true on January 19, 2007 -- in the exact
manner stated by the people who
issued the “warning” -- no investigation
has been filed against them.
I would hereby like to issue a formal
complaint against the assistant
governor and these persons.
2. Certain claims have revealed
that Erhan Tuncel, one of the instigators,
was an assisting intelligence
member paid by the police, and that
he was also engaged in similar affairs
with the Gendarmerie and MIT. Do
you regard it as normal that a stateemployed
person could simultaneously
prepare murder plans, that
state institutions could be aware of
these plans -- and that the state still
would not take any action?
I demand an inquiry and investigation
into the persons who
trained this person, from both the
Gendarmerie, the MIT and the police;
into the affiliations of this person;
and into who nominated him
to prepare plans for the murder of
my husband.
3. Does it seem strange to you
that the BBP (the Great Union
Party) and the Alperen Association
have some relationship with almost
everyone involved in the incident?
I demand that these relationships
be investigated, and the responsible
persons be punished.
4. As far as it is known through
the investigation conducted in Istanbul,
Ankara was aware of the
information given by Erhan Tuncel
regarding the details of the murder
plan and the telephone records of
the murderers, but did not take any
measure to prevent the murder or
to protect my husband -- either in
Istanbul or in Trabzon.
Therefore, I demand an investigation
be filed in Ankara also, to
determine the people responsible
in Ankara.
In sum, since we have seen that
the investigations have proved
insufficient, I repeat my demand
above and request you to charge
the Prime Ministerial Inspection
Committee with an extensive and
efficient investigation of the assassination
of my husband, the situation
before and after the murder,
and the process of its planning.
Mr. Prime Minister: The deep
sorrow I suffer due to the assassination
of my beloved husband
cannot be possibly rendered into
words. My wish from God our
Father is that you and your colleagues
may comprehend my grief.
May the Holy Spirit speak to you
day and night, to lead you to the
right path in your decisions and
actions, and give you the courage
to proceed along this path with a
strong will.
Mr. Prime Minister: I address
the governors and future governors
of Turkey in your name, with
the words* of Solomon the Wise:
“Where are the lion-hearted? Where
are the wise and learned ones, to
restore order? Where are those that
oppose evil and appreciate justice?
Where are the truthful, to inherit
benefaction? Where are the men of
honor, those to be trusted? Where
are those who do not act on influence?
Where are the people to establish
justice?”
Where are those who want to be
superior? Let them prove their superiority
with what they have done,
and what they will do later on...
I ask the governors of Turkey:
Which excellence from Solomon’s
proverbs will you leave for our
children, who will be the future of
Turkey?
The words of our God, Jesus,
state: “Blessed are the peacemakers:
for they shall be called the children
of God. Blessed are they which
are persecuted for righteousness’
sake: for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven”(Matthew 5:9-10).
Mr. Prime Minister, I would like
to thank you in advance for your
interest and efforts, whether they
prove useful or not.
Respectfully,
Rakel Dink 18-04-2007
* Mrs. Dink appears to be creating a
montage of Solomonic imagery, combining
elements found in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.
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