Massive commemoration of murdered journalist
ISTANBUL – In a march in the Turkish metropolis Istanbul, about forty thousand people commemorated the Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink, who was assassinated exactly five years ago on Thursday. There was a lot of anger about the verdict of the judge last Tuesday, when he classified the murder as an act of individuals, rather than as an organized crime of …
Life imprisonment for ordering Dink murder
ISTANBUL – A Turkish ultranationalist has been sentenced to life imprisonment on Tuesday for ordering the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. Yasin Hayal and nineteen others were however cleared of terrorism charges.
Dink was assassinated in front of the office of his newspaper in Istanbul on 19 January 2007. He was controversial among nationalist Turks, because he called the …
‘Dink murder impossible in present-day Turkey’
ISTANBUL – Almost five years on there is still a lot that is not clear about the shadowy network that ordered the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. However a start has been made in dealing with the ‘deep state’, the ‘state within the state’ that is widely held responsible for the killing. Thursday marks five years since Dink was …
French bill doesn’t help genocide debate in Turkey
ISTANBUL – In Turkey it is feared that the bill passed today in France making it illegal to deny the Armenian genocide of 1915 will damage the level of debate on the topic in Turkey. The debate had been slowly making progress over the last couple of years. Calling the Armenian genocide ‘genocide’ no longer leads to a conviction by …
Forces behind Hrant Dink’s murder remain unpunished
ISTANBUL – The conviction of Ogun Samast, murderer of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink (photo), and his sentencing to almost 23 years in jail doesn’t mean the case is over. The background to the murder remains a mystery, and important persons involved remain unpunished.
Soon after the murder in January 2007, suspicion …
Turkey: in the tracks of the soldiers
COMMEMORATION – Commemorate a war and fallen soldiers? In Turkey they go a bit further than two minutes of silence. Turkish scouts, for example, re-live the ice-cold conditions endured by their soldiers in the eastern mountains of the country. Fatih (16), high in the mountains in the snow: ‘The soldiers really had a tough time.’
In Turkey it’s not about the …
Turkish Armenians want election of Patriarch
ISTANBUL – Representatives of the Armenian community in Turkey have initiated a court case against the Turkish state to enforce elections for a new Patriarch, according to several Turkish newspapers on Thursday.
The court case is bringing to a climax a battle that started in 2008, when it became clear that Patriarch Mesrop II was no longer able to perform his …
Murdered journalist Dink wins court case
ISTANBUL – The European Court for Human Rights has ruled in favour of the (murdered) Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink and his family. Dink filed the case almost four years ago. The Turkish state didn’t do enough to protect Dink’s life and didn’t respect Dink’s freedom of expression. The news appeared in several Turkish media outlets on Monday.
Sources say the verdict …
Turks commemorate mass killings of Armenians
ISTANBUL – For the first time Turks in Turkey have commemorated the mass killings of Armenians in 1915. A few hundred people joined together in ceremonies organized by IHD, one of the biggest human rights organisations in the country.
One of the commemorations took place by the train station from where on 24 April 1915 an initial convoy of Armenians left …
The Armenian community in Turkey consists of about fifty thousand souls. It’s not easy to keep such a small community alive. Especially not for Armenians who live outside the strong Armenian community in Istanbul. A special report.
Cemil and Gülestan have been married now for twenty one years. But when you see them sitting together with their sons …
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