ANKARA: Zarakolu Given Top Prize Of Armenia

ZARAKOLU GIVEN TOP PRIZE OF ARMENIA

Hurriyet Daily News
May 30 2012

Prominent publisher Ragıp Zarakolu yesterday received the Presidency
Prize of Armenia in Yerevan, becoming the second person from Turkey
to have received this prize. Before Zarakolu, Turkish journalist of
Armenian descent Hrant Dink, (editor in chief of Turkish-Armenian
weekly Agos, who was shot dead in front of his office building in
Istanbul in 2007), received the same award.

Acknowledment of Armenian culture “I am honored to be here to receive
Presidency Prize of Armenia. It is an extraordinary felling to be here,
in independent Armenia. Mr.

President, I thank you and the institutions that awarded me this prize
for my modest contribution toward the acknowledgement of Armenia’s
historical and cultural heritage,” Zarakolu said during his speech.

Zarakolu also commented on the contributions of Armenians to Turkish
culture.

“We can’t talk about Seljuk and Ottoman Cultural heritage without
mentioning the Armenian contributions. Unfortunately Turkey prefers to
deny its cultural heritage, rather than face the truth … Anatolia
misses her disappeared children. After you, Anatolia lost her aura,
what remains are scared lands and ruined towns,” Zarakolu said.

Charges Zarakolu was arrested in November on terrorism charges
as part of an investigation into the Kurdistan Communities Union
(KCK). He was held in prison for six months before being released
in April. The justification for the release was explained as the
“duration of the imprisonment time, the possibility of a change to
the classification of the offence, and evidence.”

The first hearing of the case will be held on July 2 in Silivri.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress