Epress.am News from Armenia
Yesterday, in Istanbul, two events took place in remembrance of the late-editor in chief of Agos and human rights advocate Hrant Dink. One event took place in front of his gravestone and another in the neighborhood where the Agos office is located.
According to Agos, people gathered at Hrant Dink’s gravestone at the Balıklı Armenian Cemetery in the Zeytinburnu district. Dink’s family members were present along with Armenian clergy, friends, and supporters of Dink. Sezgin Tanrıkulu, Republican People’s Party (CHP) MP, also attended and spoke about the current ruling party’s (AKP) responsibility for the assassination eight years ago.
Another event was organized by the Kurdish-led People’s Democratic Party’s (HDP) in the 20,000 Armenian populated district of Kurtulus. A group of around 50-people held banners that read, “Confront Hrant with the Genocide,” “Kurds, Turks, Armenians, long live the people’s fraternity,” “We are all Hrant, we are all Armenians.” Others held signs stating that the district’s name is Tatavla (old Greek name), not Kurtulus.
The participants held three new street signs, the first reading Tatavla Avenue was to replace Kurtulus Avenue, Konstantin Street to replace Bay Sungor Street and traditionally Hrant Dink Avenue sign replaced the Ergenekon Avenue (the suspected underground group behind Dink’s assassination).
The local branch of the party just a few days earlier had put up large banners above a main street reading “We have not forgotten, we will not forget” and a photo of Hrant Dink.
Today, January 19, multiple protests have been organized. At 1:30 PM, the two co-chairs of the HDP, Figen Yuksekdag and Selahattin Demirtas will be attending the rally from Taksim square to the Agos office. At 7 PM, they will gather in front of French consulate near Taksim.
A group of citizens gathered in Yerevan on January 17 to show solidarity with Hrant Dink's family and to commemorate his legacy with the words “Hos enk Akhparik”(We are here brother).
The first public event for the memory of Hrant Dink is also taking place in Yerevan today by the Friends of Hrant Dink in Armenia. A silent march will take place from the Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial to the Opera square.
Recall, Hrant Dink was assassinated in Istanbul in January 2007, by Ogün Samast, a 17-year old Turkish nationalist. Samast has been sentenced to 23 years in prison. Yasin Hayal, who ordered Samast to murder Dink, has been given a life sentence, while nationalist Erhan Tuncel has been released. During the past week, the Dink case has made shocking progress in that the first public officials have been arrested in relation to the case. Earlier last week, former-police chief Ozkan Mumcu and Muhittin Zenit of the Trabzon police department were arrested on charges on charges of negligence and misconduct in Dink's murder. On Friday, an arrest warrant was issued for former Trabzon police department staff Ercan Demir, now Cizre Police Chief.
HDP march photo from Milliyet News.