Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Jan 26 2007
Turks, Armenians to walk hand in hand in Paris
The dream of Agos newspaper chief editor Hrant Dink, for Turks and
Armenians to leave the genocide behind and come closer for dialogue,
will come one step closer today. Turks and Armenians will march
together on Friday in France, a country that has a strong anti-Turkey
Armenian lobby.
Three Armenian organizations and the Turkish Citizens Unity
Association named, Racort, in Paris has agreed to hold a silent march
in honor of Hrant Dink. The main slogan of the march is, "We are all
Hrant, We are all Armenian." The march will begin today at Paris’
famous Place de la République and finish at the Bastille. The
Armenian Diaspora Research Center, the Armenian Audiovisual
Association, the Armenian cultural Association named J’APPEL, have
all accepted Racort’s invitation to participate in the march. But,
the architects of the French genocide bill, the Armenian Case Defense
Committee (CDCA) and the Committee for Coordination of Armenian
Associations of France did not respond to the invitation.
Although the associations to participate in the walk today represent
a small number of the Armenians in France, it is still a historical
development for Armenians and Turks to walk side by side, Racort
official Umit Metin says, adding he believes more developments will
follow. Metin said the Turkish-Armenian cooperation in Turkey
following the death of Dink has certainly influenced the attitude of
Armenians in France about Turkey and the Turkish people. "To make
this change was impossible before," Metin said.
He also informed that following their initiative, many Armenians had
contacted him, he sees it as a sign that many Armenians have been
affected by the cooperation of the two groups in Turkey.
The march will begin in the afternoon. Songs in Turkish, Armenian and
Kurdish will be recited during the event. The march will end at
Bastille Square, where a ceremony will be held to honor Dink, and a
white dove will be released into the skies of Paris, Metin told Zaman
newspaper. Organizations that have supported the event include,
French Moor Workers Association, French Tunisian Association, Paris
Shiite Culture Center, Dersim Culture and Research Center, Hamlet
Kaya Kurdish Culture Association, Human Rights League, Greens Party,
MRAP and ATTACK.
27.01.2007
Ali Ihsan Aydin Paris