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Aljazeera.net, Qatar
Jan 20 2007
Turkish-Armenian writer shot dead
Hrant Dink, a prominent voice in Turkey's shrinking Armenian
community, has been killed by a gunman at the entrance to his
newspaper's offices in Istanbul.
Dink, a 53-year-old Turkish journalist of Armenian descent, had been
tried many times for publicising the killings of Armenians by Turks
at the beginning of the 20th century.
Dink was the editor of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspaper Agos
and a public figure in Turkey.
He was most recently convicted in October of "insulting Turkishness"
and received a six-month suspended sentence. He had received threats
from nationalists, who viewed him as a traitor.
Arrests
Muammer Guler, the governor of Istanbul, was quoted by the Anatolia
news agency as saying that three people have been taken into custody
in connection with Dink's murder on Friday.
In previous interviews with the press, Dink had cried as he talked
about some of his fellow countrymen's hatred for him, saying he could
not stay in a country where he was unwanted.
Turkey's private NTV television earlier said police were searching
for the suspected murderer, believed to be a teenager wearing a white
hat and a denim jacket.
Dink's body could be seen covered with a white sheet in front of the
newspaper's entrance on Friday.
NTV said four empty shell casings were found on the ground and that
he was killed by two bullets to the head.
Strong condemnation
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's prime minister, said the killing was
an attack against Turkey's unity.
"I stress that the attack on Dink is an attack on us all - on our
unity, our integrity, our peace and stability," Erdogan told
reporters at a hastily called news conference.
"This is an attack against freedom of thought and our democratic way
of life."
Thousands of Turks took to the streets to protest against the murder.
Some 2,000 people gathered at Taksim Square, the main business and
entertainment centre of Istanbul, as hundreds of riot police looked
on.
"We are all Armenians, We are all Hrant Dink," chanted the
protesters, many carrying red carnations and pictures of Dink with
the inscription "My dear brother" in Turkish, Armenian and English.
One demonstrator waved Turkish and Armenian flags.
The protesters were marching to the offices of Dink's newspaper in
the Sisli district, about three kilometers away, where hundreds of
others have kept a vigil since his murder.
In Ankara, about 700 people - trade unionists and human rights
activists - held a 30-minute sit-in in central Kizilay square, the
Anatolia news agency reported.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ BDCEC5AA-A555-413E-8C0D-7D5EEB2D35C5.htm
Jan 20 2007
Turkish-Armenian writer shot dead
Hrant Dink, a prominent voice in Turkey's shrinking Armenian
community, has been killed by a gunman at the entrance to his
newspaper's offices in Istanbul.
Dink, a 53-year-old Turkish journalist of Armenian descent, had been
tried many times for publicising the killings of Armenians by Turks
at the beginning of the 20th century.
Dink was the editor of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspaper Agos
and a public figure in Turkey.
He was most recently convicted in October of "insulting Turkishness"
and received a six-month suspended sentence. He had received threats
from nationalists, who viewed him as a traitor.
Arrests
Muammer Guler, the governor of Istanbul, was quoted by the Anatolia
news agency as saying that three people have been taken into custody
in connection with Dink's murder on Friday.
In previous interviews with the press, Dink had cried as he talked
about some of his fellow countrymen's hatred for him, saying he could
not stay in a country where he was unwanted.
Turkey's private NTV television earlier said police were searching
for the suspected murderer, believed to be a teenager wearing a white
hat and a denim jacket.
Dink's body could be seen covered with a white sheet in front of the
newspaper's entrance on Friday.
NTV said four empty shell casings were found on the ground and that
he was killed by two bullets to the head.
Strong condemnation
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's prime minister, said the killing was
an attack against Turkey's unity.
"I stress that the attack on Dink is an attack on us all - on our
unity, our integrity, our peace and stability," Erdogan told
reporters at a hastily called news conference.
"This is an attack against freedom of thought and our democratic way
of life."
Thousands of Turks took to the streets to protest against the murder.
Some 2,000 people gathered at Taksim Square, the main business and
entertainment centre of Istanbul, as hundreds of riot police looked
on.
"We are all Armenians, We are all Hrant Dink," chanted the
protesters, many carrying red carnations and pictures of Dink with
the inscription "My dear brother" in Turkish, Armenian and English.
One demonstrator waved Turkish and Armenian flags.
The protesters were marching to the offices of Dink's newspaper in
the Sisli district, about three kilometers away, where hundreds of
others have kept a vigil since his murder.
In Ankara, about 700 people - trade unionists and human rights
activists - held a 30-minute sit-in in central Kizilay square, the
Anatolia news agency reported.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ BDCEC5AA-A555-413E-8C0D-7D5EEB2D35C5.htm