VARDAN OSKANIAN: WE MISS HRANT

Noyan Tapan
Jan 17 2007

YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. On the occasion of the first
anniversary of murder of Hrant Dink, the editor-in-chief of the Agos
newspaper, RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian sent a letter to the
newspaper’s editorial staff. The letter read:

"I should confess that I have had two very deep and unforgettable
shocks in the years of taking this post: the first was in 1999 when
Armenia’s stability was endangered by terrorists, the second last
year when I received a telephone call on the mournful news of Hrant
Dink’s murder. In both cases these were attacks on not a personality,
but on ideas and values.

Hrant’s murder was an attack on the attempt to build the Turkish state
on democratic bases. The killers’ target was his idea about a Turkey,
which does not limit freedom of speech and tolerates open discussions
and perceives its citizens belonging to national minorities as equals.

We miss Hrant. He visited Armenia several times a year. In September
2006, when he spoke at the Armenia-Diaspora forum, his message was
that as members of the European family Turkey and Armenia can have
normal relations, as even those not wishing it will start to look
for ways of dialogue in Turkey. It was pleasant to hear that, as it
corresponded to our wishes.

He also made a speech at the International Conference dedicated to
the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide we organized in April
2005 in Yerevan.

Everybody listened with respect to his emotional and logical appeal
to conduct a dialogue, to differentiate today’s Turkish Republic
from the state having committed a crime nearly 100 years ago. He
remembered with passion himself explaining the Turkish authorities
that the Armenians are looking for the roots the Ottoman empire cut,
when it tried to completely exterminate a whole people and to tear
it off from its home, culture, and traditions.

Each time he came to Yerevan we found some minutes to talk. It was very
important for me to hear from him about the moods in Turkey. Hrant was
the very person, whom one could ask it, as he was not just a person
living in Turkey. He was proud of its two, Turkish and Armenian
identities and was insulted and got angry when he was accused of
"insulting the Turkish identity" for his efforts to find verges of
consent between these two identities.

When he was first accused of "insulting the Turkish identity" by
Article 301 I asked whether my writing a letter or speaking publicly
will be useful. He registered confidently: "I am thankful to you,
but don’t worry, my own efforts are sufficient now: the God supports
me and I will lead my struggle till the end. "

In the future he remembered with surprise that "on the one hand, they
call Armenia and Armenians for a dialogue and on the other, condemn
or wish to neutralize their citizen, who struggles for establishment
of this dialogue."

Hrant Dink was sincere and brave, but he was not
simple-minded. Neverthelss, he could not predict such a
"neutralization." His sincere and brave voice was silenced, Moreover,
some people heard a simple message in his murder, that the danger
they are facing is deeper than a simple legal condemnation.

This message was one of the "achievements" that murder gave to
the people having a contribution to formation of the extremist
atmosphere giving a nuance to Turkey’s home and foreign policy. I
think the cruelty, impunity, and violence of Hrant’s murder serves
several purposes. First, to reduce Europe’s interest in Turkey,
which is the very thing some people wish to see in Turkish political
circles. Second, to intimidate the Armenians and other minorities
of Turkey for them not to pursue protection of their civil and human
rights. Third, to intimidate the impudent Turks, who quite sincerely
started studying these difficult and delicate issues.

In Armenia we have affirmed for more than a decade that though it is
Armenians, who suffered from historic unfairness and it is Armenians,
who are on the opposite side of the border kept closed by Turkey,
nevertheless, at any time we are ready for a dialogue with our neighbor
at the moment when normal relations are established between us and
when this last closed border of Europe is opened and someone wishes
to speak to the point on the opposite side of the border. We are ready.

A year ago we were agitated by a fit of deep mourning in all layers
of Turkish population, especially in those, who were terrified by the
crime committed by a young man and considered it as continuation of
hatred and hostility in the next generation.

Hrant Dink’s family, his colleagues in the Agos newspaper in Armenia
and in Turkey are consoled a little with the fact that today and
tomorrow, I am sure, both Armenians, who share his ideas on mutual
understanding and harmony between peoples, and Turks, who share his
dream of living in peace with neighbors and history, will remember
Hrant."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress