Hürriyet, Turkey
Feb 1 2007

Ali Bardakoglu: Dink’s murder was a great shame for us

Speaking about recent murder of ethnically Armenian journalist Hrant
Dink, Ali Bardakoglu, the head of Turkey’s Religious Affairs
Ministry, has noted "This death is for us a shameful one."

Touching on growing societal tension as a result of the Dink murder,
Bardakoglu noted "For Hrant Dink, who was a Turkish intellectual, a
great thinker, a humanist writer, a son of this soil to have been
murdered is for us a great shame. This murder was an attempt to cast
a shadow over our traditions…..We support the right of every person
in Turkey, no matter what their religion, language, or ethnicity to
live freely, in honor, and simply as people. I think that the fact
that thousands of people participated in Dink’s funeral, thereby
underscoring the solidarity and union of Turks, was a positive
thing."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress