100,000 fill Istanbul to mourn murdered Armenian journalist
Devika Bhat and agencies

Times Online/UK
January 23, 2007

Tens of thousands of people today gathered on the streets of Istanbul
in a massive outpouring of grief for a slain Turkish-Armenian
journalist.

Hrant Dink was gunned down in broad daylight on Friday outside the
offices of his newspaper, Agos. Known for his articles on the mass
killings of Armenians during the final days of the Ottoman Empire, the
52-year-old angered nationalists who accused him of insulting Turkey.

In one of the largest funerals ever held in the Turkish capital,
up to 100,000 tearful mourners took to the streets from the early
hours of the morning, marching behind the sunflower-lined coffin of
the murdered editor along an 8km route from the his offices to an
Armenian Orthodox church. Mr Dink’s daughter, Sera, carried a framed
picture of her father and wept as she walked in front of the coffin.

Thousands upon thousands gradually filled the bridges and streets
as far as the eye could see in either direction, with the procession
forcing the closure of city centre.

As well as bidding farewell to Mr Dink, many were there to show
support for a more open and liberal Turkey free from the grasp of
the hardline nationalists who still enjoy significant influence in
the country. Until today, there have been few such rallies in Turkey
in favour of freedom of speech.

Much of the general consensus was demonstrated via numerous placards,
displaying such slogans as: ‘We are all Hrant Dinks’ and ‘We are all
Armenians’ – in both Turkish and Armenian.

But despite a request from Mr Dink’s family not to turn the funeral
into a protest, some mourners were more vocal in raising their opinion,
holding up their fists and shouting: "Shoulder to shoulder against
fascism" and "Murderer 301" – a reference to the Turkish law that was
used to prosecute the journalist and others on charges of insulting
"Turkishness."

Among the intellectuals dragged to court over Article 301 was novelist
Orhan Pamuk, who last year won the Nobel Prize in literature. Such
prosecutions have caused anxiety at the EU, which is considering
Turkey’s bid to join its ranks, amid reservations about its record
on human rights and freedom of expression.

Mr Dink sought to encourage reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia,
but chose a dangerous path by making public statements about the
murder of Armenians by Turks in the early 20th century, which remains
one of the nation’s most divisive issues.

On several occasions, Dink expressed his view that the killings
amounted to genocide, enraging nationalists who have adamantly claimed
there was bloodshed
on both sides during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The remarks
also landed him in court and prompted death threats.

Police are questioning seven suspects, including 17-year-old Ogun
Samast – who authorities say has confessed to shooting the journalist
– and Yasin Hayal, a nationalist militant convicted in a 2004 bomb
attack at a McDonald’s restaurant.

Hayal has confessed to inciting the slaying and providing a gun and
money to the teenager, according to police.

"It was an attack against all of us," said Oya Basaran, 52, a school
principal. "We want to live together as brothers. We want to give
the message to the world that the killing does not represent us."