Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Jan 27 2007

Turkish Nationalist claims Turkish nation insulted in journalist’s
funeral

Tokat, 27 Jan (AA) – MHP [Nationalist Action Party] Deputy Chairman
Mehmet Sandir has claimed that the Turkish nation has been insulted
and the Turkish state has been challenged during the funeral of
journalist Hrant Dink that was held in Istanbul.

Participating in his party’s Province Council meeting in Tokat,
Sandir claimed that Turkey is undergoing a process of disintegration
due to the policies that have been pursued during the term of the AKP
[Justice and Development Party] government.

Asserting that the AKP government is a national security risk for
Turkey, Sandir said: "What has changed in our lives during the term
of the AKP government? Do we have more food on our table or do we
have more employment? Is our country at a more honourable place? We
believe that our country is being dragged to an environment of chaos
during the term of the AKP government."

Sandir continued as follows:

"On the one hand Kurdish conferences are being held, while on the
other, support is being extended to the Armenian genocide claims.
Furthermore in international politics support is being extended to
the pressure imposed by the EU on the one hand, and on the other,
maps that aim to establish a Kurdistan on our territory by destroying
our country are being published within the framework of the Greater
Middle East Project, of which the prime minister has proudly
announced that he is the co-chairman. In short, during the term of
the AKP government efforts are being made to rapidly disintegrate our
country with its society and its territory. The AKP government is a
national security risk for Turkey."

Hrant Dink’s Funeral Ceremony

Also referring to Agos editor Hrant Dink’s funeral ceremony in
Istanbul, Sandir said the following:

"From Tokat we strongly condemn the developments that occurred during
the funeral of one of our citizens of Armenian origin in Istanbul
this week. We condemn the slogans that were chanted during the
funeral ceremony. We condemn those who cried out slogans such as
‘Murderer state,’ ‘We are all Armenians,’ and ‘We are all Hrant
Dink.’ We are all Turkish and this is Turkey. I will lodge a
complaint with my nation against the prime minister primarily and
every person and every institution that caused this and supported
this. The Turkish nation has been insulted in Istanbul. The Turkish
state has been challenged."

Claiming that these insults are an expression of the determination
for dividing and destroying Turkey, Sandir said: "If you intend to
ensure that the masses adopt a new identity as the expression of the
emotional and humanistic reaction to the hateful murder, this is the
expression of the determination to destroy and divide Turkey."

In conclusion Sandir said the following:

"Why did these masses not carry even a single Turkish flag? Given
that you gathered in order to protest against a murder and given that
you wanted to express the fact that an ethnic identity has been
wronged, why did anyone not carry a Turkish flag as the symbol of
unity? Why did you obstruct those who wanted to carry a Turkish
flag?"