Silence, Songs Signal Outrage: Farewell to Hrant Dink
Hrant Dink, Armenian-Turkish journalist, was murdered Friday.* I wanted to write about it since, but lacked words.
Dink’s funeral was today. I received an email from my father at 6:36 a.m. and read it one hour later. He mentioned taking a different route to work and attending the funeral procession. I was moved to tears when I read these lines:
“Today I realized once again that years before we buried Hrant’s lifeless body we buried the multi-religious, multi-lingual, multi-national, multi-voiced, multi-colored, multi-cultured Istanbul of my childhood, my youth, deep into the annals of history.
“We could not protect Istanbul, nor you, Hrant; forgive us…”
The above lines and Dink’s cold-blooded execution summarize a trend that is both sad and alarming. The alarming trend comprises rise of nationalism, lack of understanding and emergence of so-called “dark powers” that are willing and capable of murderous acts.
The sadness they generate runs equally deep. I reminisce about my parents’ memories, and think of my own. Maybe my childhood was not as colorful, but I did have the privilege of growing hand to hand with Armenians, Jews and various shades of Muslims. To this day, I call my first friend from babyhood, an Armenian, sister and her mother “anne” (mother, in Turkish). The family remains as close as my own.
To think that others, them “dark powers,” are not capable of understanding the importance of the dialogue that we – people of different cultures who rejoice in both common and special exchanges among us – enjoy is damning.
Dink’s politically motivated assassination is not the first in my republic’s still – unfortunately – fledgling democratic history. Turks say, “a Turk has no friend other than another Turk,” at the instant they feel that either individually or nationally they have been dissed. Conversely, Turks have no bigger enemy than Turks.
For years Turkish journalists were murdered in cold blood for writing and researching subjects others deemed better untouched. Abdi Ipekci was killed in 1979 by nationalist gunman Mehmet Ali Agca – who later shot Pope John Paul II; Cetin Emec was killed in 1990 by homegrown Islamist terrorists; Ugur Mumcu was killed in 1993 after numerous threats due to his reporting on the disenfranchisement of Kurds in Turkey.** Fifty-three journalists have been killed in Turkey since 1930.
Dink is the last victim of a long history of shame, not only because these actions threaten Turkey’s democracy, image, etc., but mainly because the attack on him as an attack to the country’s beautiful ethnic fabric.
Sadly, the powers that be are doing everything possible to eliminate voices of dissent: those who encourage dialogue and the preservation, if not furthering, of the true, multi-ethnic and accepting culture of Turkey.
Dink’s wife gave a very moving speech stressing that her late husband became a great man because he “thought big.” She encouraged tens of thousands of supporters who came to mourn Dink’s death to do the same and denounce hate. I wish I had the skills to translate her speech.
The supporters marched mostly in silence, bearing posters with Dink’s pictures and signs saying “We are all Hrant Dink” and “We are all Armenians.” Loved ones and supporters bid farewell to Dink singing Armenian, Turkish and joint folk songs.
The public’s righteous and peaceful outrage at the perpetrators of this heinous act, and the likes, must survive the feeling of accomplishment that settles after big acts of solidarity. Otherwise, this great moment will succumb to the everyday complacency that engulfed people many times before.
I hope that the unity exhibited today at Dink’s farewell will last, and I hope that he – as my father wrote – will forgive us for not taking action sooner.
* I especially did not write the background story. Most of it was duly reported in major media outlets. I personally prefer the BBC coverage, which you can read here, and the New York Times coverage, which is accessible here.
** Mumcu’s murder is still unsolved, which was a great concern to me in Dink’s murder, too. It seems that the government was more successful in tracing Dink’s murderers, god bless them if that is the case.
Dink’s funeral was today. I received an email from my father at 6:36 a.m. and read it one hour later. He mentioned taking a different route to work and attending the funeral procession. I was moved to tears when I read these lines:
“Today I realized once again that years before we buried Hrant’s lifeless body we buried the multi-religious, multi-lingual, multi-national, multi-voiced, multi-colored, multi-cultured Istanbul of my childhood, my youth, deep into the annals of history.
“We could not protect Istanbul, nor you, Hrant; forgive us…”
The above lines and Dink’s cold-blooded execution summarize a trend that is both sad and alarming. The alarming trend comprises rise of nationalism, lack of understanding and emergence of so-called “dark powers” that are willing and capable of murderous acts.
The sadness they generate runs equally deep. I reminisce about my parents’ memories, and think of my own. Maybe my childhood was not as colorful, but I did have the privilege of growing hand to hand with Armenians, Jews and various shades of Muslims. To this day, I call my first friend from babyhood, an Armenian, sister and her mother “anne” (mother, in Turkish). The family remains as close as my own.
To think that others, them “dark powers,” are not capable of understanding the importance of the dialogue that we – people of different cultures who rejoice in both common and special exchanges among us – enjoy is damning.
Dink’s politically motivated assassination is not the first in my republic’s still – unfortunately – fledgling democratic history. Turks say, “a Turk has no friend other than another Turk,” at the instant they feel that either individually or nationally they have been dissed. Conversely, Turks have no bigger enemy than Turks.
For years Turkish journalists were murdered in cold blood for writing and researching subjects others deemed better untouched. Abdi Ipekci was killed in 1979 by nationalist gunman Mehmet Ali Agca – who later shot Pope John Paul II; Cetin Emec was killed in 1990 by homegrown Islamist terrorists; Ugur Mumcu was killed in 1993 after numerous threats due to his reporting on the disenfranchisement of Kurds in Turkey.** Fifty-three journalists have been killed in Turkey since 1930.
Dink is the last victim of a long history of shame, not only because these actions threaten Turkey’s democracy, image, etc., but mainly because the attack on him as an attack to the country’s beautiful ethnic fabric.
Sadly, the powers that be are doing everything possible to eliminate voices of dissent: those who encourage dialogue and the preservation, if not furthering, of the true, multi-ethnic and accepting culture of Turkey.
Dink’s wife gave a very moving speech stressing that her late husband became a great man because he “thought big.” She encouraged tens of thousands of supporters who came to mourn Dink’s death to do the same and denounce hate. I wish I had the skills to translate her speech.
The supporters marched mostly in silence, bearing posters with Dink’s pictures and signs saying “We are all Hrant Dink” and “We are all Armenians.” Loved ones and supporters bid farewell to Dink singing Armenian, Turkish and joint folk songs.
The public’s righteous and peaceful outrage at the perpetrators of this heinous act, and the likes, must survive the feeling of accomplishment that settles after big acts of solidarity. Otherwise, this great moment will succumb to the everyday complacency that engulfed people many times before.
I hope that the unity exhibited today at Dink’s farewell will last, and I hope that he – as my father wrote – will forgive us for not taking action sooner.
* I especially did not write the background story. Most of it was duly reported in major media outlets. I personally prefer the BBC coverage, which you can read here, and the New York Times coverage, which is accessible here.
** Mumcu’s murder is still unsolved, which was a great concern to me in Dink’s murder, too. It seems that the government was more successful in tracing Dink’s murderers, god bless them if that is the case.
posted by Emre Peker at 8:10 PM
3 Comments:
If Hrant can read your article and many other tens of articles published in Turkey recently,he is smiling now and thinking that his life is not wasted. And I believe that he IS reading them all. Eline, yuregine saglik oglush*...
*Health to your hands and heart,son.
Nice post, read it on the RC72 group.
You have interesting stuff, hope to read more soon. I live nearby, you could ask babacik for my email. Also,
Saturday 1/27 7PM, there will be a memorial service at 816 Clark. If
you come ask for RC mezunu; there will be lots of people speaking your language.
Hi Emre, would you know if any of Mumcu's books is translated to English? My local library in the UK would benefit from a donation.
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