Protests around the world against Hrant Dink's Assassination

[Tongue]

In Washington:

YEREVAN (YERKIR) - Over 1000 Armenian Americans from throughout the Greater Washington DC area on Sunday, January 21, honored slain Armenian journalist Hrant Dink and called on the Turkish Government to end its 92 year international campaign of Armenian Genocide denial, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

The crowd gathered in front of the Turkish Embassy just two days after Dink’s assassination. “Many are saying that Dink was killed by ultra-nationalists who considered his statements to be insulting Turkey's honor and threatening its unity.

But this is not just the position of some so-called 'ultra-nationalists'; it is the official position of the Turkish government, which prosecuted and condemned Dink for his stance on the Armenian Genocide. It is the shameless policy of Genocide denial perpetrated by Ankara which is the real problem and that is what we must continue to fight against,” AYF Ani Chapter chairman Serouj
Aprahamian stated.

“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. After the vigil a special requiem service was held in memory of Hrant Dink at Soorp Khatch Church in Washington.

http://www.yerkir.am/eng/index.php?sub=news_arm&id=28821

[Tongue]

In Jerusalem-Israel:

Armenians protest killing of outspoken journalist

JERUSALEM - To chants of “Shame on Turkey” and with mournful nationalist songs, about 100 Armenians from Jerusalem gathered outside the Turkish consulate in Jerusalem on Tuesday to protest the killing of an Armenian journalist in Turkey.
Israel’s Armenians joined thousands of others in the Armenian diaspora worldwide who protested the murder of Hrant Dink, buried Tuesday in Turkey days after being gunned down outside his office. The editor of a bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspaper, Dink made enemies among nationalist Turks by labeling as genocide the mass killings of Armenians in 1915.

Dink was “a man of peace,” said Serop Sahagian, an Armenian living in Jerusalem.

“He was one of the few Armenians who believed we can have peace with Turkey,” he said.

Christian Manougian said Turkey must protect Armenians living there as Turkish citizens. He said the protests would be a continual thing until Turkey admits and recognizes the Armenian genocide.

Protesters burned the Turkish flag and held signs in English, Arabic and Hebrew to make sure that any passerby got the message. In the Armenian capital, Yerevan, several thousand people gathered in a square, holding posters that read: “Turkey, this is your path to Europe?”

In 1915, 1.5 million Armenians living in Turkey were killed in a genocide led by the government. Adolf Hitler allegedly used the lack of attention the genocide drew as proof that his plans for the Holocaust would succeed. Armenians living in Israel—about 20,000—are upset that the government won’t recognize the genocide because it would jeopardize delicate relations with Turkey.

“We recognize the Jewish Holocaust, how come they don’t recognize ours?” Sahagian asked.

More than 100,000 mourners, both Turkish and Armenian, joined Dink’s funeral procession in Ankara. In 2005 Dink was tried in Istanbul for expressing his views in an article and was convicted of “insulting Turkishness.”

A Turkish reporter covering the Armenian protest in Jerusalem told Israel Today that he knew Dink and was saddened by his death. Mehmet Kamal Firik said he agrees that something tragic occurred with Armenians in 1915, however he believes a genocide was impossible.

http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=11271

[Tongue]

In Netherlands:

Protest against Dink Murder to be Staged in Hague on January 23

22.01.2007 14:40

YEREVAN (YERKIR) - Federation of Armenian Organizations of the Netherlands has said that a rally in protest of the assassination of prominent Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, the editor of Agos Turkish-Armenian newspaper, will take place in Hague on 23 January 2007, from 12 a.m. till 3 p.m., PanARMENIAN.Net reported.

According to Spokesperson of Abovyan cultural center Inge Drost, the action participants will submit a protest declaration to the Dutch Parliament and to the Turkish Embassy

http://www.yerkir.am/eng/index.php?sub=news_arm&id=28703

[Tongue]

In Yerevan-Armenia:


ACTION OF PROTEST AGAINST MURDER OF HRANT DINK HELD IN YEREVAN

Another action of protest was held today in Yerevan directed against the murder of the Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. The youth union "Sarkis Tkhruni" of "Hnchakian" Social-Democratic party, as well as a student council of the Yerevan State University took active part in the arrangement. "First of all, we all protest against Turkey's membership to the European Union. In our opinion, a country, where murders take place on the grounds of national hatred and discrimination, can’t be called democratic", the leader of the union "Sarkis Tkhruni", Sahak Manukian, said at the rally. He emphasized that it is not of principal importance now who is the client of the murder, the Turkish Government or chauvinist organizations. "First of all, this crime was caused by the atmosphere of hatred to the Armenians which still predominates in today’s Turkey", S. Manukian said. He noted that Hrant Dink was one of few public figures who never feared of openly speaking about the Armenian Genocide in Turkey. "This fact has proved again the unwillingness of Turkey to recognize the crime committed in 1915", S. Manukian stated In his turn, a student of YSU, Narek Galustyan, noted: "We want to show that the Armenian youth does not intend to keep silent about the crimes committed by Turkey openly and purposefully. Hrant Dink is a new victim of the Armenian Genocide," N. Galustyan added. The meeting participants have also handed over a letter of condemnation from the union "Sarkis Tkhruni" and the student council of YSU to one of the officials of EU Office in Armenia. It’s worth mentioning that the mourning action began with a prayer for the repose of his soul conducted by Bishop Ararat Galtakjian. Mourners held posters condemning the murder of Dink replicated from posters carried by thousands in Istanbul saying 'We are all Hrant Dinks,' "Turkey, is this your road to European Union?" "We mourn this loss and hope that the reason will celebrate the ultimate victory," RA Deputy Foreign Minister Gegham Gharibjanian told journalists. He said this crime provoked an unprecedented international condemnation. "Nationalistic ideas shouldn’t be promoted and encouraged and everyone will benefit from it," he said. U.S. Charge d'Affaires Anthony Godfrey also came to convey his sympathies to the Armenians. He emphasized that Hrant Dink's death was a great loss. He said he hopes that this tragedy may bring about progress in normalization of the relations between Turkey and Armenia. "The US is shocked with what happened in Istanbul,"Godfrey told the journalists. Godfrey extended his deep condolences to the relatives and friends and expressed hope that even by his tragic murder Dink will contribute to the issue for opening the Armenian-Turkish border - the cause he has been fighting for throughout his life. It’s worth mentioning that several mourning processions were held today in the Armenians towns and in Armenian-populated Javakhk region in southern Georgia.

http://www.azg.am/?lang=EN&num=2007012402

[Tongue]

Takism Square-Turkey:



Five thousand people gathered yesterday evening in Taksim Square in a sit-down protest against the assassination of Hrant Dink, the Editor-in-chief of the Armenian Community’s newspaper, Agos, which took place earlier in the day. The protestors proceeded to march towards the newspaper’s office carrying photographs of Mr. Dink, candles, torches, and flowers.


The crowd, which had doubled in number by the time they had reached the Agos building, sang and clapped hands in protest as well as shouting such slogans as, “We are all Hrant Dink. We are all Armenians”, and “Hrant Dink’s murderer is this country’s betrayer”.

[Helen]

Protests in Greece

https://www.armenians.gr