Journal of Turkish Weekly
Slogans During Dink’s Funeral Become Matters of Controversy
Jan, 27, 2007
328

View: Fatma DISLI

It has been a week since Hrant Dink was murdered in Ä°stanbul, but the
debates on this tragic event have not ceased. One particularly telling
debate focuses on slogans chanted during Hrant’s funeral. "We are all
Hrant, we are all Armenians," the approximately 100,000 people
attending the funeral procession chanted, the slogan echoed on the
placards they carried. The slogan was a reaction to the
ultranationalist motives behind the killing and an affirmation of
ethnic and religious tolerance and solidarity. This has not been
without consequence. Already, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader
Devlet Bahçeli has voiced his annoyance with these slogans, thinking
that it is not appropriate for a Turk to say "I am an Armenian" no
matter what the reason.

Yeni Å=9Eafak’s Fehmi Koru directs harsh criticism toward those who
are disturbed by these slogans. Koru asserts that one has to be either
blind ordeaf in order not to see that those slogans did not contain a
religious or national message. He explains that everyone’s religion or
ethnic background is special to him or her and that people cannot
change such things all of a sudden. Such slogans do not imply a desire
for such a change or transformation. Such slogans imply a message for
another change, one for an understanding the "other."

Koru asserts that it is really absurd to look for an ulterior motive
behind these slogans at a time when we should be ashamed of
ourselves. "Those who chanted slogans or carried banners reading ‘We
are all Hrant, we are all Armenians’ did not turn into Armenians or
Christians. Some people are evenable to infer discrimination from
gestures that were made for solidarity," concludes Koru.

Another columnist from Yeni Å=9Eafak, Ali Bayramoglu, is also very
critical of those who were disturbed by these slogans. He comments
that Turkey has not cried this much for any of its Armenians, it has
never been so shaken overthe death of an Armenian. Bayramoglu calls
this a "turning point" for Turkey. He claims many Turks harbor a
feeling of shame and embarrassment, or at leasta feeling of pity, in
their hearts. The turning point, he says, is the soul-searching here,
but the most important thing is the social reaction toa man’s unjust
killing and the radical nationalism and racism behind it.
Bayramoglu urges that these slogans should be considered in this
respect. He harshly criticizes those who derided the reactions to
Dink’s death as "Hrantmania." "This is completely immoral. This is a
mentality that values a human being not because he is a human being
but according to his ethnic or religious identity," he asserts.

Vatan’s Okay Gönensin shares the same view in that some people just
reacted to these slogans instead of pondering the messages they
contain. He accuses such people of lacking confidence. "Only those who
are suspicious of their Turkishness, who are suspicious of the honor
of being a Turkish citizen, could be disturbed by these slogans. As a
matter of fact, the champions of street nationalism were disturbed,"
he explains.

Milli Gazete’s Zeki Ceyhan is at odds with the other columnists and
feels that the reactions expressed during Dink’s funeral were
exaggerated. He suggests that the people chanting these slogans did
not consider the possible outcome of their remarks and characterizes
such slogans as "foolish." Ceyhan thinks Dink’s funeral was a good
opportunity to get to know some people better. "Who is who was
revealed," he says.

f.disli@todayszaman.com

Today’s Zaman
27 January 2007