YEREVAN PRESS CLUB: SOCIETY MOST SHARPLY ACCEPTS LOSS OF THOSE WHO,
SERVING TRUTH, ARE NOT HONOURED WITH ADEQUATE SYMPATHY AND ASSISTANCE
DURING THEIR LIFETIME
YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. "We, the
Yerevan Press Club members, are deeply upset with famous journalist,
"Akos" newspaper editor-in-chief Hrant Dink’s murder," is said in
the statement spread by the Yerevan Press Club on January 20. The
statement text is completely presented below: "This terrible action is
addressed against the freedom of expression, democracy, normalization
of the Armenian-Turkish relations. It once more proves: there are
still very dark, regressive, rough forces which do not want that
our region proceeds in the way of progress. Hrant’s journalism and
public activity is addressed to protect the person’s right of freely
expressing ideas and overcoming traditional stereotypes which hinder
people to communicate, understand and love each other. Both paassing
over in silence the crime committed in 1915 by the Turkish Government
towards the Armenian population and the criminal pursuit for denial of
the Armenian Genocide which is envisaged in the draft approved by the
French Parliament was inadmissible for him. Being one of few people
in Turkey who dared to speak about the genocide, Hrant Dink observed
any person’s condemnation for having other views as a violation of
the human rights. He was one of those people who was supposed to be
a simbol of renovation of Turkey: a process which is contradictory
and collide with powerful resistance and numerous inner and foreign
obstacles. People like Hrant who strive for overcoming their own
and retainers’ fear, complexes, those who are open for every new and
light thing, are most defenceless. His murder, and earlier the Turkish
authorities’ political pursuit and prosecution affirm this sad reality.
Watching the unprecedented response in the world and just in Turkey
on the occasion of our partner’s death, one unwillingly thinks of the
following paradox: the society most sharply and with exclusive feeling
of sin accepts loss of just those representatives who, serving the
truth and justice, were more vulnerable and were not honoured with
adequate sympathy and assistance during their lifetime. Let it be
another lesson for all those countries where journalists are killed,
subjected to violences and pursuits. By feeling deep sorrow, we can
not stand expressing sorrow on the occasion of a number of statements
the authors of which attempt to speculate the tradegy taken place
in Istanbul, spreading ideas alien to Hrant Dink, displaying by it
disrespectful attitude towards his memory. The journalist’s and public
figure’s murder was, surely, a consequence of the political collisions
existing in the Turkish society, and we called to confront using of
the crime for deepening the abyss of imperceptiblity and hatred. We
want to believe that those values in which Hrant Dink believed, the
goals he strived for, will find more and more supporters in Turkey,
Armenia, all our region.
The Yerevan Press Club has been and remains one of them."