TURKEY INDIGNANT OVER SONG AND VIDEO PRAISING DINK’S MURDERERS
PanARMENIAN.Net
17.09.2007 17:23 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A video prepared for a song, the lyrics of which
praised Ogun Samast, the teenager who murdered Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink, and Yasin Hayal, one of the inciters behind
the assassination was posted on the hugely popular video-sharing Web
site YouTube, creating controversy in Turkey, as many branded it as
ultra-nationalist hate propaganda.
The video quickly received a high number of user hits.
Thousands of people sent the link to each other, especially on Friday,
as the issue marked the agenda in many e-mail groups. Finally, the
amateur video made it to the headlines of mass circulation newspapers
yesterday.
While the song mentioned the names in different contexts, in the
video the photograph of murderer Ogun and inciter Yasin are seen. In
the lyrics, meanwhile, there is a direct threat to those who "support
Armenians," saying "they will be taken care of."
As these words are heard, the now infamous photograph of Dink,
right after he was gunned down, lying on the ground and covered with
newspaper pages, is seen.
The video not only praises those involved in Dink’s assassination but
also shows photographs of author Orhan Pamuk, Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, musician, author and columnist Zulfu Livaneli, folk
music singer Selda Bagcan, and former president Ahmet Necdet Sezer,
labeling all as "betrayers."
The lyrics of the song named "Do Not Make Plans" was written by
an ultra nationalist poet, Ozan Arif and is sung by Ismail Turut,
a well-known singer. But ultra nationalists unrelated to the two
supposedly prepared the video. There are nearly 10 different versions
of the video being broadcast on YouTube, but the version that created
reactions around Turkey was removed yesterday.
Dink’s lawyers are preparing to file a complaint about the song and
the video. One of Dink’s lawyers asked the prosecutors "what they
were waiting for" and said the video incites people to commit hate
crimes by abusing race and religion and by praising a murderer.
This Thursday, the Human Rights Association and many other
organizations will meet in front of the Sultanahmet Court at 1:00
p.m. and file a joint complaint against Turut and Arif, Turkish Daily
News reports.
The first court session on Dink murder case was held July 2. The
following day it was postponed to October 1.