Truth and justice for 'prophet' Hrant Dink, 15 years from murder
The journalist and director of Agos was shot dead on 19 January 2007. The contours of the story remain obscure, in a climate of impunity. The appeal of the Turkish Journalists Association. AsiaNews source: a man with a "deeply Christian and civilised" outlook, who created "embarrassment" for the parties involved.
Istanbul (AsiaNews) - Christians in Turkey are demanding justice and truth a passionate intellectual with a "deeply Christian and civil" vision, Hrant Dink on the 15th anniversary of his murder. The Armenian journalist was killed in front of the headquarters of Agos, the daily newspaper he edited, on January 19, 2007.
His murderer, Ogun Samast, 17 years old and unemployed at the time of the murder, confessed to the crime and was sentenced to 23 years in prison in 2011. In addition, the court imposed four more life sentences last year, but the whole affair and the real responsibility have not yet been clarified.
Two years before the murder, the authorities had put him on trial for writing about the Armenian genocide of 1915, which Turkey always denied. Shot four times at point-blank range, his death stirred the conscience of many citizens and more than 100,000 people attended his funeral, recognising the work of a journalist who had worked for reconciliation between Turks and Armenians.
In January 2021, a youth centre dedicated to his memory was inaugurated in Istanbul, and in recent days, talks between representatives of Yerevan and Ankara began in a difficult attempt to achieve peace "without preconditions".
An AsiaNews source in Turkey, speaking on condition of anonymity, notes with regret that "hardly anyone talks anymore" about Hrant Dink and his death, "in the end he was a personality who created embarrassment for the parties involved" with his clear-cut stances, without making concessions.
"I remember him as an authentic prophet, a man with a deeply Christian and civil vision" in line "with the Second Vatican Council". The source defines as "disconcerting" how even "part of the Christian world" has forgotten him, which is why he suggests "reading a new book entitled 'The restlessness of the dove. Being Armenians in Turkey'".
Among the few organisations that have made their voices heard in recent days is the Turkish Journalists Association (Tgc), which together with the Press Council issued a statement recalling that "we are still waiting for justice for Hrant Dink". He is honoured for his strenuous defence of 'universal peace' and the struggle 'for fraternity between the peoples of the two nations, Armenia and Turkey'.
In a nation where it is now "commonplace" for journalists to be arrested for their work, the value of "freedom of the press" is recalled once again. "We are all responsible for eliminating hate speech in the media, for living peacefully in a society free of racism and discrimination. The Press Council recalls that the "dark forces" that planned his assassination are still secret and unpunished, which is why it is necessary to "shed full light" on the affair and bring justice to his memory.
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