‘FRIENDS OF HRANT’ AND NOR ZARTONK COMMEMORATE JOURNALIST HRANT DINK

BIAnet
ies/119531-friends-of-hrant-and-nor-zartonk-commem orate-journalist-hrant-dink
Jan 19 2010
Turkey

On the third anniversary of the assassination of Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink, ‘Friends of Hrant’ and the Nor Zartonk formation
commemorate the Turkish-Armenian journalist. Both groups strongly
criticize that the murder case has not been solved yet despite
conclusive evidence.

Erol ONDEROÄ~^LU hukuk@bianet.org Istanbul – BÄ°A News Center19 January
2010, Tuesday Three years after Turkish Armenian journalist Hrant Dink
was assassinated in front of Agos newspaper, his friends call out:
"We know the murderer, we want justice". For a decent future they
claim that Hrant Dink’s murder should not be forgotten and that the
murderers and the abettors should not get away with what they did.

Journalist and writer Hrant Dink, editor-in-chief of the weekly
Agos newspaper publishing in both languages Armenian and Turkish,
was killed on 19 January 2007. The journalist will be commemorated
in a public ceremony held in front of Agos newspaper in Å~^iÅ~_li,
Istanbul, on Tuesday afternoon (19 January), the third anniversary
of the assassination.

The "Friends of Hrant" group made a public call for the commemoration
event and also for the coming hearing of the murder case on 8
February. They have published an announcement in the mainstream
newspapers throughout the last couple of days.

"Hrant was killed by a collective official decision" In the published
notice the group once more urged to identify the responsible people
within the state and to punish them accordingly, stating that "Hrant
was killed by a collective official decision".

They declare:

"It has been three years since Hrant Dink was killed and his murderers
are still walking around stalking. Three or five people who did
the errand were taken to court. The state mobilized the governor,
commanders, politicians, judges and prosecutors to prevent an effective
investigation. The ones who prepared the ground for the murder continue
their duty hard-nosed.

"The people who made this murder possible or turned a blind eye to
it, who trained the murderers, who appointed them to official duties,
who flew the flag of murder and published images of heroism… They
were all protected, taken care of and still serve the state".

"The government who has seen enough justice done for Hrant might even
promote them and appoint them to new ranks.

Taking all that into account, let’s ask: WHO IS THE MURDERER OF HRANT?

"And let’s give an answer: Hrant was killed by a collective official
decision. These rulers are cruel, coward and deceitful. They will
not come out, they will not show themselves. Remember the "Cage" plan
seized from the maze of the deep state. [The "Cage Operation Action
Plan" was supposedly worked out as a coup plan by the Naval Forces,
targeting non-Muslims and aiming to charge them of their religious
beliefs.] Remember that people referred to the murder of Hrant as an
"operation".

"They try to drag us, Hrant’s friends, his loved ones and the ones
seeking justice, into the same darkness. They want us to remain
short-winded between the dusty files of the courts, to become fed up
with attending hearings, to lose hopes for seeking justice. We will
not stop. We cannot stop".

"Because we know that the future of every single one of us is not
is not assured if the ‘state’s hand’ behind the Hrant Dink murder
is not brought to justice without hesitation, if all those people
involved are not brought to account, the ones who assisted the
murderers, who turned a blind eye to it, who swept reports under
the rug, the police superiors who treated the murderer like a hero,
the gendarmerie commanders, mayors and members of the judiciary who
prevented investigations".

"Above all, Hrant left us an honourable ideal of brotherhood. We will
come together at the place he was killed on 19 January for the sake
of an honourable and trustworthy brotherhood and for justice for Hrant.

Join us if you want a just and honourable life dedicated to
brotherhood".

Nor Zartonk leads torch march from Taksim to Galatasaray The Nor
Zartonk formation, established by young Turkish-Armenians against
war and discrimination after Dink was killed, criticized the lack
of advancement in the murder investigation although three years have
passed in the meantime. The organization argued, "The truth is as clear
as the bright day, but the court could still not reach any results".

The formation participates in the gathering in front of Agos newspaper
on Tuesday afternoon. In the evening of the same day (19 January)
they will lead a torch march from Taksim Square down the centrally
located Istiklal Avenue to Galatasaray Square.

"We know the ones who cherish hate and hostility. We know the ones
who prevent the people in this country to live in brotherhood. None
of us will attain to comfort until light has been brought into the
dark. We know that the people who created this darkness are still
stalking on the streets and one day they will hurt us again. For this
reason we struggle without being daunted. While they are trying to
deceive us, silence, scare and suppress us we have no choice but to
continue with our struggle. We will carry on with our struggle as
long as the abysmal injustice and exploitation continues".