Hürriyet, Turkey
Jan 17 2009

‘Flash mob’ performance on Hrant Dink anniversary

ISTANBUL – Turkey’s right-minded people have mobilized under the
slogan ‘We were shot on that day, too.’ More than 300 people, from
students to pensioners, are planning to gather on the anniversary of
Agos editor-in-chief Hrant Dink’s assassination.

The message, "We were shot on that day, too," has been sent over
popular friendship network Facebook and will bring more than 300
people together to raise awareness of the assassination of weekly Agos
editor-in-chief Hrant Dink.

Hundreds of people, including students and retired people, will come
together in an initiative started by Turkish youth to give a
performance on Jan. 18 and 19 at 3 p.m, to commemorate the anniversary
of Dink’s murder.

During the performance, the moment when Dink was shot and fell will be
reenacted. A camera will record the performance. The performers will
fall down one by one. Each of them, after lying down for a few seconds
will reenact the moment when the soul leaves the body. The only thing
the performers need to do is to get up and walk without looking at the
camera after they stand up.

In correspondence with the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic
Review about the BaÅ?ka Culture House event, performers Eylem
Akkaya, Ä°lker Eraslan, Ä°brahim BaÅ?, Erdi Biltekin
and Hüseyin Civan wrote, "The Dink murder is the deepest and
freshest wound caused by Ergenekon, the deep state and counter
guerrillas. We will also commemorate our intellectual people, who have
also been the victims of murder. We call on everyone to join us for
Dink and for justice."

Gathering through ‘flash mob’ technique
Eraslan said they started to rehearse for the performance at the
beginning of November using the "flash mob" technique. Even though
this technique is used for fun abroad, he said, it was mostly used in
Turkey to draw attention to social events and traumas. As part of this
technique, an announcement is made over the Internet to gather people
together and then these people perform together.

Akkaya, stating that many performances had been held at the
BaÅ?ka Culture House, said, "The main goal of this performance
is to visualize the moment when Dink was shot among crowds in
different locations in Istanbul and to keep the memory of society of
this event fresh.

‘As a society, we were all shot with Dink, too’
Aside from the goal Akkaya spoke of, one of the biggest aims of the
performance is to reenact the "social shooting," said BaÅ?,
"When Dink was shot, our society was also shot and wounded. We should
never forget this pain."

Speaking about Dink’s mission, the performers said, "Dink was our
brother, who defended the brotherhood of people and fought for it. He
was shot and we were shot too. This pain is the pain of all of us."

The performers, who seek to draw attention to the importance to the
normalization of the common language of brotherhood in Turkey, as
opposed to the language of nationalism and racism, said, "We should
speak of the damage of the language of nationalism and racism to all
people from the very young to the very old. We can have safety and
peace only when we normalize this thought."

Performances at the BaÅ?ka Culture House will continue after the
commemoration to Dink. Performers will come together a short time
later and draw attention to the tragedy in Palestine. Those who want
to join flash mob performances can obtain information through