“We are all Hrant!”
Hrant Dink, an Armenian journalist from Turkey, was shot dead on January 19th, 2007 in Istanbul. He was a friend, colleague, and my hope for my country. They shot him in the
head –in his beautiful head full of brilliant ideas! - ideas that some people in Turkey could not face.
Hrant was a treasure for Turkey. Despite the difficulties, discriminations, and injustices that he had endured, instead of becoming a bitter man, he nurtured his love for all those who loved and those who despised him. Hrant has kindly shouldered the responsibility to be the voluntary spokesperson for the continuously shrinking Armenian community in Turkey. His purpose in life was to render Turkey a bit more liveable for everyone, including the Turks, Armenians, and Kurds. He simply wanted everyone to understand what had happened to two million Armenians who lived in Anatolia at the turn of the 20th century so that we could all heal each other, together.
Hrant always believed that the struggles for democracy and human rights in Turkey would be won only by the Kurdish, Turkish and Armenian peoples learning to respect each others’ rights and working shoulder to shoulder. Contrary to the claims of Turkish prosecutors, he was never a traitor. Not against the already dwindling Armenia community (less than 50,000) that had nurtured him with its culture, language and decades old grief. Nor against Turkey and the Turks whose friendship he has always deeply cherished. Although he could have left Turkey and enjoyed the relative security of the West, he was stubborn not to leave the country that had discriminated against and harassed him as the “Other” through shameful court cases and constant death threats. He was a peace-dove for Turkey and yet he was thrown as bait to hungry grey wolves.
Hrant has been the victim of a Turkish ultra-nationalism recently on the rise, one that has been also indirectly endorsed by the state, army, and the mainstream media. Instead of protecting one of their most honest citizens, these powers that be, until last Friday, have continually publicly bullied Hrant as a traitor. Whereas now, in order to control the growing angry protests by huge crowds mourning for Hrant all over Turkey, the same powers-that-be declared a seventeen year old youth who is charged with Hrant’s killing as traitor. Unfortunately, no one is even trying to explain why the dozens of threats Hrant had received have been ignored or why this award winning world-wide respected journalist was systematically harassed simply because he questioned official dogma and dared to talk about our history as a pathway to a brighter future.
Turkish newspapers already announced, “The Killer Caught”, which would never calm the anger and the deep sorrow millions feel. Those who know Hrant and Turkey well would know that there are many in Turkey, much older than 17, who have been working very hard to destroy the tolerant and peaceful democracy Hrant and others like him have long been trying to build against all odds.
A world without Hrant will never be the same for me and others committed to social justice and the sisterhood of peoples in Turkey. I do hope, however, that Hrant’s death would be a wake-up call for many people in Turkey who have heard the cries of the thousands who have been marching for Hrant since Friday, (Susma! Sustukca, sira sana gelecek!), “Don’t be silent! If you do, you will be the next!”
Kumru Bilici
January 21, 2007
In response to “Turkey erupts in anger over killing” Ottawa Citizen, Saturday, January 20, 2007
Hrant Dink, an Armenian journalist from Turkey, was shot dead on January 19th, 2007 in Istanbul. He was a friend, colleague, and my hope for my country. They shot him in the
head –in his beautiful head full of brilliant ideas! - ideas that some people in Turkey could not face.
Hrant was a treasure for Turkey. Despite the difficulties, discriminations, and injustices that he had endured, instead of becoming a bitter man, he nurtured his love for all those who loved and those who despised him. Hrant has kindly shouldered the responsibility to be the voluntary spokesperson for the continuously shrinking Armenian community in Turkey. His purpose in life was to render Turkey a bit more liveable for everyone, including the Turks, Armenians, and Kurds. He simply wanted everyone to understand what had happened to two million Armenians who lived in Anatolia at the turn of the 20th century so that we could all heal each other, together.
Hrant always believed that the struggles for democracy and human rights in Turkey would be won only by the Kurdish, Turkish and Armenian peoples learning to respect each others’ rights and working shoulder to shoulder. Contrary to the claims of Turkish prosecutors, he was never a traitor. Not against the already dwindling Armenia community (less than 50,000) that had nurtured him with its culture, language and decades old grief. Nor against Turkey and the Turks whose friendship he has always deeply cherished. Although he could have left Turkey and enjoyed the relative security of the West, he was stubborn not to leave the country that had discriminated against and harassed him as the “Other” through shameful court cases and constant death threats. He was a peace-dove for Turkey and yet he was thrown as bait to hungry grey wolves.
Hrant has been the victim of a Turkish ultra-nationalism recently on the rise, one that has been also indirectly endorsed by the state, army, and the mainstream media. Instead of protecting one of their most honest citizens, these powers that be, until last Friday, have continually publicly bullied Hrant as a traitor. Whereas now, in order to control the growing angry protests by huge crowds mourning for Hrant all over Turkey, the same powers-that-be declared a seventeen year old youth who is charged with Hrant’s killing as traitor. Unfortunately, no one is even trying to explain why the dozens of threats Hrant had received have been ignored or why this award winning world-wide respected journalist was systematically harassed simply because he questioned official dogma and dared to talk about our history as a pathway to a brighter future.
Turkish newspapers already announced, “The Killer Caught”, which would never calm the anger and the deep sorrow millions feel. Those who know Hrant and Turkey well would know that there are many in Turkey, much older than 17, who have been working very hard to destroy the tolerant and peaceful democracy Hrant and others like him have long been trying to build against all odds.
A world without Hrant will never be the same for me and others committed to social justice and the sisterhood of peoples in Turkey. I do hope, however, that Hrant’s death would be a wake-up call for many people in Turkey who have heard the cries of the thousands who have been marching for Hrant since Friday, (Susma! Sustukca, sira sana gelecek!), “Don’t be silent! If you do, you will be the next!”
Kumru Bilici
January 21, 2007
In response to “Turkey erupts in anger over killing” Ottawa Citizen, Saturday, January 20, 2007
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