The New Anatolian
via ABHaber, Belgium
Jan 30 2007
Cam: Funeral protestors formed anti-discrimination front
By chanting, "We’re all Armenians" at last week’s funeral for slain
journalist Hrant Dink, protestors formed a front against
discrimination and extreme nationalism, said a prominent labor leader
yesterday.
Musa Cam, general secretary of the Confederation of Revolutionary
Workers’ Unions (DISK), yesterday told a press conference
co-organized by Istanbul Trade Association Coordination member Tayfun
Mater and the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ODP) deputy leader Hakan
Tahmaz that critics of the slogans chanted at the funeral had
misinterpret them.
"Some people having difficulty understanding the spirit of the slogan
object to us with a discriminatory ideology," said Cam. "Dink’s
murder was caused by extreme nationalism. In order to protest
discrimination, we shared the hardships and pains witnessed by all
minorities living in our country."
Tahmaz stated that before they chanted slogans such as "We’re all
Palestinians" or "We’re all Lebanese" in antiwar activities.
Speaking on behalf of the Hrant Dink Farewell Committee, Tahmaz said
that no one suggested opening or carrying a flag while planning the
funeral.
Tension in Trabzon spills onto pitch
Following the recall to Ankara of Trabzon Governor Huseyin Yavuzdemir
and Police Chief Resat Altay, escalating tension in Trabzon spilled
over into a Trabzon-Kayserispor soccer match Sunday.
Approximately 15,000 Trabzonspor fans, claiming that Trabzon was
unfairly accused because Dink’s confessed assassin comes from the
city, chanted slogans and held banners during the match saying "We’re
all Turks, we’re all from Trabzon, we’re all Mustafa Kemal" and
"We’ll sooner die than say that we’re all Armenians."
Was ‘big brother’ an informer?
Turkish dailies reported on unconfirmed rumors yesterday that Erhan
Tuncel, who has been arrested as the instigator behind Dink’s
assassination, was actually a police informer and he warned Trabzon
police office before the murder.
So-called "Big Brother" Tuncel is said to have been giving the police
information since 2004, when a McDonald’s was bombed by Yasin Hayal,
also implicated in the murder of Dink, Tuncel is said to have warned
the police that Dink would be murdered in the near future. In 2004
then Trabzon Police Chief Ramazan Akyurek also reportedly persuaded
Tuncel to give them information about the group by saying that he’s
not a "bum" like the others as he went to university and if he gave
information he’d be get favorable treatment. Afterwards Tuncel
frequently visited the police and gave them information about the
group and his last tip was on the assassination of Dink, say the
reports.
Tuncel’s claim was reportedly ignored by the police, as he couldn’t
give any concrete evidence.
Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu didn’t reply to questions yesterday
regarding the claims.