TURKISH DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: EVIL-MINDED SLOGANS VOICED ON SPORTS GROUNDS
OPENLY FLOUT TURKEY’S UNITY

ANKARA, JANUARY 31, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The slogans and
placards opposed to expression of solidarity of Turks with Armenians
that followed Hrant Dink’s murder and have recently appeared at a
number of football stadiums are open violation of Turkey’s unity,
integrity and principle of country’s citizenship. Turkish Deputy
Prime Minister Mehmed Ali Shahin declared this.

The participants of actions of protest held after Agos newspaper’s
editor-in-chief Hrant Dink’s murder carried such slogans as "We all
are Hrants, we all are Armenians," to counteract to which Turkish
nationalistic circles had slogans "We all are Turks, we all are
Mustafa Kemals" during some of football games.

The Deputy Prime Minister called all responsible persons for
undertaking measures against spreading of evil-minded slogans and
placards.

According to Turkish Daily News, Shahin has sent a letter to the
Turkish Ministry of Internal Affairs and Turkish Footabll Federation
stressing that evil-minded slogans and placards "contradict the nature
of sport."