TAXM SQUARE WHERE PROTESTS AGAINST DINK’S ASSASSINATION ARE STAGED IS
NOT YET THE WHOLE TURKEY, POLITICAL SCIENTIST SAYS

YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The assassination
of Hrant Dink shows that there are great problems with democracy in
Turkey. Political scientist Alexander Iskandarian, Director of
Caucasian Media Institute, expressed this opinion during the January
20 press conference.

Speaking about the protests against Hrant Dink’s assassination being
staged in Istanbul, he said that in this city with a population of 16
million, there will probably be 50 thousand people who are so
Europeanized that they are ready to hold demonstrations in defence of
liberal values. However, the number of such people is limited to this
figure in the country. In his words, Taxim Square located in the
center of Istanbul’s European part is not yet the whole Turkey, and
only 20 km off Istanbul, another world begins – a world in which
people don’t realize the meaning of protesting against the murder of
an Armenian.

As for Europe, there are forces there both in favor and againt
Turkey’s joining the European Union, and, in A. Iskandarian’s words,
Dink’s assassination may be an additional argument to be used by the
latter forces.