Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

TURKEY PARLIAMENT LEADER VISITS HOSPITALIZED FAMOUS ARMENIAN PHOTOGRAPHER

January 21, 2014 | 13:46

Cemil Cicek, Speaker of the Parliament of Turkey, paid a visit to
renowned Istanbul-Armenian photographer Ara Guler, who recently was
hospitalized.

Cicek was interested in Guler’s health condition, informs the official
newspaper of the Turkish government.

To note, the famous photographer was urgently taken to the intensive
care unit of an Istanbul hospital on the evening of January 16, and due
to kidney failure. But Guler’s health condition subsequently improved,
and therefore he was moved to a hospital room.

Ara Guler, who was recognized as the “Photographer of the Century”-and
who is also known as “the Eye of Istanbul”-was born in the city
in 1928, and he began his journalistic career in 1950. He has
received many Turkish and international awards and titles, and he
has photographed numerous world-renowned personalities.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: Baghdasarian

BARRIERS TO ENTRY IN THE ARMENIAN MARKET

Balkans.com Business News
Jan 21 2014

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bne – 21.01.2014

For more than a year, Yerevan has been anticipating the opening of the
first Carrefour supermarket, expected shortly after the French retail
giant launched in neighbouring Georgia in September 2012. However, the
chain’s entry into the Armenian market has been held back reportedly
by a group of local oligarchs who control the lucrative imports of
food and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) to the country.

While Armenia has seen an opening up of sectors such as air transport
in 2013, the country’s economy remains one of the most monopolised in
the region, according to a World Bank report. The high concentration
of ownership among a handful of powerful individuals is a significant
barrier to competition and economic growth.

Opposition to Carrefour’s entry to Armenia is believed to be led
by Samvel Alexanian, the ultimate owner of both Armenia’s largest
supermarket chain, Yerevan City, and its largest food importer, Alex
Grig. Alexanian’s control over the prices of two key imports – flour
and sugar – would be threatened by the entry of the world’s second
largest retailer to the market. Alexanian is also rumoured to have
rented the largest retail space at the Dalma City Mall in Yerevan for
a Yerevan City supermarket to prevent Carrefour from using the space.

Carrefour is now expected to set up its first Yerevan store at another
mall, Yerevan Mall, which is due to open in February, and the French
chain is advertising for local staff. In his latest statement on the
issue, France’s ambassador to Armenia, Henri Reynaud, told a press
conference in December that the launch was imminent. “It should not
be forgotten that France is the number one investor in Armenia. I
would like to inform you that the entrance of Carrefour to Armenia
is expected in mid-2014,” Reynaud said, according to Armenpress.

Government officials including Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan have
also weighed into the case. Sargsyan promised in early 2013 to do
everything possible to ensure that Carrefour was able to enter the
Armenian market. However, the lengthy delays have highlighted the
level of power wielded by the businessmen who hold sway over many
parts of the economy.

Barriers to entry

A World Bank report published in November singles out monopolisation
and a lack of competitiveness as one of four key problems holding
back development of the economy, along with problems connected to
investment, job creation and transport links. “Competition is… of
crucial importance for the dynamism of the economy. Pro-competition
reforms and effective implementation of antitrust rules can lead
to significant productivity gains and consumer savings,” reads the
report titled “Republic of Armenia: Accumulation, Competition and
Connectivity”.

“Barriers to competition exist in different sectors partly because of
the characteristics of government contracts, discriminatory rules and
inadequate regulations, and particular aspects of market structure,”
says Ulrich Bartsch, the World Bank senior country economist and
co-author of the report.

According to the World Bank report, Armenia has a larger share of
monopolies than other countries in the region, with 60% of markets
exhibiting “an oligopolistic or monopolistic market structure”.

Problem sectors include air transport, gas, electricity, railways and
professional services, as well as retail. “Insufficient competition
affects regulated sectors such as utilities and natural monopolies,
and certain markets with a small number of firms, such as petroleum,
sugar, wheat, and cut flowers,” says the report. “Competition is
limited because of barriers to entry, ownership concentration, market
dominance, and vertical and horizontal integration.”

A study by the Yerevan-based Hrayr Maroukhian Foundation, with support
from the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung foundation, published earlier in
2013 agrees that certain sectors are “highly monopolized”, which “has
led to abuse of market power, market distortions, lack of economic
competition for goods and services they provide, and persistent market
entry barriers.”

Progress was made in some areas during 2013, most notably in the air
transport sector. Armavia, which dominated the sector until early 2013,
declared it was filing for bankruptcy in April. This paved the way
for an opening up of the sector, with the government drawing up an
“open skies” strategy after consultancy McKinsey & Company completed
a study of the sector. Any airline meeting technical standards can
now operate on routes between Armenia and Russia, and connections to
other destinations such as Dubai have also been opened up, resulting
in a sharp fall in prices.

Bartsch tells bne that the bank was “very pleased” with developments
in Armenia’s aviation sector since the report was compiled. “Following
Armavia’s exit, and the declaration of “open skies” by the Armenian
government, we have seen a number of indications that competition
in the sector is improving, and foreign operators are improving the
connectivity of Armenia with the rest of the world,” Bartsch says.

Armenia’s National Competitiveness Foundation forecasts that the cost
of air tickets – previously around 60% higher than in neighbouring
countries – will drop by between 10% and 50%, resulting in a 20-25%
increase in passenger numbers.

However, the opening up of the air transport sector has not been
matched by progress in other parts of the economy. In the retail
sector, there is still no firm date for Carrefour’s launch, while
monopolisation increased in the gas sector in 2013. As Yerevan moved
closer to Russia in the second half of the year, the government agreed
to sell the 20% of ArmRusGazprom still controlled by the state to
Gazprom, which already owns 80% of the company.

bne-Clare Nuttall

From: Baghdasarian

ARF WESTERN US CENTRAL COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENT ON SOLDIER’S DEATH

Tuesday, January 21st, 2014 | Posted by Contributor

Armenian Revolutionary Federation

GLENDALE-The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Western US Central
Committee on Tuesday issued an announcement condemning the killing of
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Armed Forces soldier Armen Hovhannisyan on
Monday and announced a special requiem Mass on Sunday to commemorate
the brave hero.

Below is the translated text of the announcement:

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Western US Central Committee
and all our members in the region respectfully bow to the memory of
the heroic soldier Armen Hovhannisyan who was martyred during his
service to protecting our national borders.

We unequivocally condemn Azerbaijan’s provocative maneuvers and
reiterate our unwavering solidarity to the guarantor of the defense
our nation-the armed forces.

Martyrdom in the name of protecting the Armenian homeland is the
ultimate sacrifice in the eyes of the ARF and Armen Hovhannisyan
became an example of that sacrifice by demonstrating his heroism and
giving his life.

Let us honor the memory of our martyred hero. This Sunday, a requiem
Mass will be said in memory of Armen Hovhannisyan and all other fallen
soldiers at St. Mary’s Church in Glendale. Immediately following the
Mass, a community gathering will take place in front of the Armenian
Cross Stone located in the church courtyard.

ARF Western US Central Committee

From: Baghdasarian

THE ISSUE OF JUSTICE

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Jan 21 2014

We understand from the speech our prime minister delivered to our
ambassadors that the government is preparing to prioritize the
100th anniversary of the First World War against the Armenian lobby
activities for 2015.

I find this correct. Different results come out of presenting the
tragic incidents of 1915 as “Turks started massacring out of the blue”
and approaching this incident within the context of the catastrophes
of the First World War.

In the same speech, the prime minister reiterated his known “parallel
state” discourse and emphasized, “They are using every way to
intimidate international investors.”

However, for the government to be credible from the perspective of the
confidence of investors and also from the diplomatic angle, it has to
eliminate the concerns it created on the independence of the justice.

Among members of the judiciary themselves, the concern that executive
is intervening with the justice branch is becoming widespread.

According to a recent survey conducted by “adalet.org” website, only 19
of the participating judges and prosecutors find the last reassignment
of the prosecutors done by the HSYK positive. For various reasons,
the rate of those who find them negative, as well as an intervention
is 81 percent.

It was indeed a decree that was against legal practices.

The total rate of judges and prosecutors who say the structure of the
HSYK should continue is 79 percent. Those who say, “This board cannot
contribute to the independence of the judiciary; it has to change”
is only 21 percent.

Only 6.4 percent of judges and prosecutors think the bill submitted
to Parliament for the government to make an operation on the HSYK is
right; 89 percent consider it an intervention with the justice system.

Some 4.6 percent have not declared an opinion.

Ninety percent of the participating judges and prosecutors consider
the reassignment of police directors, “obstructing the investigation
and interfering with the judiciary.”

Can you see how different the executive and judicial powers think? Not
only this survey… The government swiftly changed the “Judicial Police
Regulation,” enabling police directors to be effective in investigative
affairs and the HSYK issued a statement on Dec. 26 declaring this was
against the Constitution. The government continues referring to this
as the “illegal declaration.”

However, 80 percent of judges and prosecutors see this declaration
as “the defense of the independence of the judiciary.” Moreover,
the Council of State and General Assembly of Case Departments have
also rejected the government’s objection on this matter.

To say the “Community” is influencing these acts is not
persuasive… It does not work… Here, in the criticisms from the
European Union, there are warnings regarding the “independence of
the judiciary” with strong expressions.

Could the reason of these reactions be because of being scared of
major investments like the “third bridge, the third airport…”?

There could indeed be some European companies and establishments that
do not want these projects built due to competitive sentiments, but
it is far from convincing to associate these projects to a topic like
“independence of the judiciary.”

Look, the EU Progress Reports had applauded the amendments introduced
through the 2010 referendum, a year when our economy was much more
dynamic, as “a significant step taken toward the direction of judicial
independence.”

Now, it would indeed draw reactions and shake confidence to say those
reforms were a mistake and make judiciary inspectors dependent on
the Justice Minister.

Judicial independence is vitally important, both to have a say and to
build confidence in the investors, in the years 2014 and 2015 against
the storms likely to erupt in world politics.

Taha Akyol is a columnist for daily Hurriyet in which this piece
was published on Jan 20. It was translated into English by the Daily
News staff.

January/21/2014

From: Baghdasarian

FOREST PROTECTION: FLEG II WORK PLAN FOR ARMENIA DISCUSSED IN YEREVAN

ENPI Info Centre, EU
Jan 21 2014

21-01-2014

A work plan for dealing with different aspects of management and law
enforcement in the forestry sector in Armenia was discussed at the
second meeting of the Armenian National Programme Advisory Committee
(NPAC) for the EU-funded ENPI FLEG (Forest Law Enforcement and
Governance) II programme in Yerevan.

At the event on 15 January, the implementing organizations presented
their plans for the first year of programme implementation and
“sought the advice of NPAC members to facilitate collaboration and
synergy with other on-going Projects and Programmes in the field,”
a press release said.

Participants also familiarized themselves with the results of the
ENPI FLEG II Steering Committee meeting in Minsk last October,
where the Country Work Plans (CWP) for each participating country
had been approved.

The activities of the ENPI FLEG II programme will be implemented over
the next 3.5 years, covering the five priority areas identified by
the Republic of Armenia, the press release said. The activities are
designed in a way to cover and build on the successful results of
the Phase I of the FLEG programme, as well as to address priorities
identified for Phase II. Progress in implementation will be presented
and discussed at National Programme Advisory Committee (NPAC) meetings
on a regular basis, in order to make recommendations when and if a
justified need for adjustments to the CWP occurs.

The ~@9 million ENPI FLEG II programme deepens reforms in forestry
policy, and legal and administrative matters in the sector while
carrying out pilot projects, and addressing forest fire and climate
issues. It builds upon the achievements of its predecessor, ENPI FLEG
I programme. (EU Neighbourhood Info)gr

From: Baghdasarian

NEITHER ERDOGAN NOR EU THE SAME AFTER FIVE YEARS

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Jan 20 2014

MURAT YETKÝN

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoðan is expected to leave Turkey on
Jan. 20 for Brussels to have high level contact there with European
Union officials.

This is going to be Erdoðan’s first visit to Brussels for EU contacts
since January 2009. Then, Erdoðan had promised for more democratic
reforms in Turkey and urged the EU not to block the accession of
his country just because of the Greek Cypriot veto. Turkey would
contribute to the EU strategically, not only because of being an
exemplary democracy in the Islamic world, but also because of its
access to all Middle East countries, better than most Europeans.

Indeed, Turkey was then not only talking to all countries in the
region, from Israel to Iran, trying to develop relations with Armenia,
having joint cabinet meetings with many neighbors from Greece to
Iraq and Syria. Later that year, the new U.S. President Barack Obama
would choose Turkey as the first stop in his first overseas trip;
the country was a rising star.

Now, Erdoðan is going to Brussels as the prime minister of Turkey
who doesn’t even have ambassadors in three of its region’s important
capital; Cairo, Tel Aviv and Damascus. A negotiation chapter was opened
in November 2013 after a three-year freeze. Erdoðan had to sack the
former EU minister from the cabinet because of the allegations in
relation with a major graft probe in December 2013 and appointed
Mevlut Cavuþoðlu to that post.

Cavuþoðlu had to face strong criticism by European politicians during
his first visit to Strasbourg on Jan. 14, warning Erdoðan’s Justice
and Development Party (AK Parti) government not to cover-up the
corruption allegations and try not to block the courts that want to
investigate them. Erdoðan refuted the criticisms and asked Turkey’s
ambassadors abroad, in a yearly conference in Ankara last week that,
they should tell the world the graft probe was not real, but a cover
for a “coup attempt” against him by a “parallel” structure within
the government apparatus, run by the sympathizers of a U.S.-resident
moderate Islamist scholar Fethullah Gulen, once his closest ally.

There are European politicians who took the opportunity to call for
an immediate freeze of negotiations with Turkey. It was Turkey’s main
opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kýlýcdaroðlu
who wrote a letter to Martin Schulz, the President of the European
Parliament last week and said the Erdoðan government should be forced
to adopt EU standards more and that to cut EU links with Turkey would
be a mistake and “would only strengthen the hands of those who would
wish to steer Turkey away from its Euro-Atlantic moorings.”

Schulz is among the top EU officials who are going to meet Erdoðan
in Brussels, along with Herman Van Rompuy, the President of the
European Council and Jose Manuel Barroso, the President of the
European Commission.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoðlu called the EU on Jan. 19
and said Erdoðan was ready to discuss all issues, including the row
over government-judiciary crisis, but the EU should be patient for
some time more and stop discriminating against Turkey. This is rather
a defensive position for a visit after a five-year interval. That’s
why Eroðan’s patience while talking to EU officials is likely to play
a more determinative role in the near future of Turkish-EU relations.

January/20/2014

From: Baghdasarian

ISTANBUL PROTEST FOR MURDERED TURKISH ARMENIAN JOURNALIST

Authint Mail, Pakistan
Jan 20 2014

20 January 2014 – 08:17AM GMT |
Middle East

ISTANBUL – Turkish riot police were out in force on Sunday as large
crowds massed in Istanbul to demand justice for a prominent Turkish
Armenian journalist murdered seven years ago.

“Murderer state will account for this,” chanted several thousand
protesters gathered in Istanbul’s Taksim Square to mark the anniversary
of Hrant Dink’s killing, with questions still lingering about the
circumstances of his death.

A demonstration has been staged every year since Dink’s murder and
has often turned into a general plea for justice.

“I’m not here only for Hrant. For more than 100 years, there has been
so much injustice in Turkey… and it is not only Armenians who have
been affected,” young historian Saro Dadyan told AFP.

Dink, 52, a leading member of Turkey’s tiny Armenian community, was
shot dead in broad daylight by a teenage ultranationalist outside
the offices of his bilingual Agos newspaper on January 19, 2007.

He had campaigned for reconciliation between Turks and Armenians,
but incurred the wrath of Turkish nationalists for calling the mass
killings of Armenians during World War I a genocide.

Dink’s supporters believe that those behind the murder were protected
by the state and have asked for a deeper investigation to uncover
officials who were allegedly involved.

Backing up widespread accusations of a state conspiracy, a former
police informant accused of instigating the murder claimed during
his trial last month that he had warned police of the plot but they
failed to act.

Dink’s self-confessed murderer, Ogun Samast, a 17-year-old jobless
high-school dropout at the time, was sentenced to almost 23 years in
jail in 2011.

Sunday’s rally came as the Turkish government is battling fresh
protests in the wake of a wide-ranging corruption scandal ensnaring
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s closest allies.

Turkish police on Saturday fired tear gas and plastic bullets to
break up a protest by around 2,000 people over controversial plans
to impose curbs on the Internet.

“This demonstration would still be meaningful even if there was no talk
of corruption. Because all these people are here for justice,” said
one man at the Dink demonstration who only gave his first name Levent.

“So many people have been put behind bars for unfair reasons…

Students, journalists, scientists and young people are suffering,”
the 45-year-old said.

Turkey has long been criticised for a lack of freedom of expression
and has been branded the world’s top jailer of journalists.

Dozens of journalists are in detention, as well as lawyers,
politicians and lawmakers — most of them accused of plotting against
the government or having links with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’
Party (PKK).

From: Baghdasarian

YEREVAN TO HOST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE “WOMEN IN THE CAUCASUS”

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Jan 20 2014

20 January 2014 – 8:30pm

>From April 14-16 Yerevan will host the second international conference
“Women in the Caucasus: politics of war, peace and violence,” the
founder of an NGO “Democracy Today,” Gulnara Shaginian said.

The participants in the conference will discuss UN resolutions,
necessary reforms to be conducted in the military, security issues
and problems of religious fundamentalism News -Armenia reports.

The conference will be attended by experts from 15 countries,
Shaginian said.

From: Baghdasarian

Church leaders call to action for a just peace in Syria

16:12 18.01.2014

Aram I, Geneva, Syria

With the Geneva 2 talks on Syria scheduled for 22 January, some 30
church leaders from Syria and around the world gathered a week ahead
of time at the headquarters of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in
Geneva, Switzerland, and called for substantial action be taken at the
talks to end the armed conflict.

In a message to be delivered to Geneva 2 by Lakhdar Brahimi, the
United Nations-Arab League joint representative for Syria, the group
which is convinced there is no military solution, said in the message
that there needed to be `immediate cessation of all armed
confrontation and hostility within Syria’, thus ensuring that `all
vulnerable communities in Syria and refugees in neighboring countries
receive appropriate humanitarian assistance’ and that `a comprehensive
and inclusive process toward establishing a just peace and rebuilding
Syria’ should be developed.

`There is no time to waste; enough people have died or had to leave
their homes,’ Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the WCC,
said following the meeting. `As churches we speak with one voice.’

The church leaders and representatives came from the Middle East, the
Vatican, Russia, other European nations and the United States and
included representatives from Syrian churches, the Middle East Council
of Churches, the Roman Catholic Church, Orthodox, Protestants and
Anglicans.

The meeting, called the Ecumenical Consultation on Syria and sponsored
by the WCC, was held 15 to17 January. It is a follow up to a similar
meeting in September 2013 sponsored by the WCC which also included
Brahimi and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

`We are representing the silent majority, the voice of the voiceless,’
said Catholicos Aram I, head of the Holy See of Cilicia of the
Armenian Apostolic Church, to Brahimi who consulted with the group on
Thursday afternoon, 15 January.

`Your mission is not an easy one,’ His Holiness continued. `It is a
critical, crucial mission. You can be sure that you have our full
support, the full support of all churches, the full support of the
global Christian community.’

The meeting was accompanied by an ecumenical prayer held on the
evening of 16 January, also joined by the members of the international
community to express their solidarity with the people of Syria,
expressing hopes for peace in the country.

The service drew attention to the great antiquity of the Christian
presence in Syria, as well as the commitment of Syria’s Christians,
inspired by the New Testament to transform violence and oppression
into healing and reconciliation.

Church leaders and representatives from Syria, the Middle East Council
of Churches, the World Council of Churches and the Holy See issued the
following statement for Geneva 2 talks on Syria:

`Christians have maintained a continuous presence in the land of Syria
since the dawn of Christianity. Today, as churches and church-related
humanitarian agencies, we are present with the people of Syria on a
daily basis both inside the country and amongst refugees. In this
communication, we seek to raise their voice.

Our concern is for all people affected by the indiscriminate violence
and humanitarian calamity in Syria. Innocent children, women and men
are being killed, wounded, traumatized and driven from their homes in
uncounted numbers. We hear their cries, knowing that when `one member
suffers, all suffer together with it’ (1 Corinthians 12:26).

There will be no military solution to the crisis in the country.
Endeavouring to be faithful to God’s love of all human beings, and
within the context of international humanitarian law, we submit these
calls for action and guidelines for building peace.

We call upon you, as participants in the Geneva II conference, to:

1. pursue an immediate cessation of all armed confrontation and
hostility within Syria. We call for all parties to the conflict to
release detained and kidnapped persons. We urge the UN Security
Council to implement measures ending the flow of weapons and foreign
fighters into Syria.

2. ensure that all vulnerable communities in Syria and refugees in
neighbouring countries receive appropriate humanitarian assistance.
Where such large populations are at serious risk, full humanitarian
access is essential in compliance with international law and the
Responsibility to Protect.

3. develop a comprehensive and inclusive process toward establishing a
just peace and rebuilding Syria. All sectors of society (including
government, opposition and civil society) need to be included in a
Syrian solution for the Syrian people. We recognize the urgent need to
integrate women and young people fully in these processes.

Geneva II must be transformed into a peace-building process,
responding to the legitimate aspirations of all Syrian people. We
offer these guidelines:

· Any peace-building process must be Syrian-led. It should be
transparent and credible so Syrians may determine their country’s
future. Such a process requires the support of the Arab League, the
United Nations and the constructive engagement of all parties involved
in the current crisis.

· All efforts must be made to secure the peace, territorial integrity
and independence of Syria.

· The multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-confessional nature and
tradition of Syrian society must be preserved. The vibrant mosaic of
Syrian society entails equal rights for all of its citizens. The human
rights, dignity and religious freedom for all must be promoted and
protected in accordance with international norms.

As Christians we speak with one voice in calling for a just peace in
Syria. To achieve this peace, we are committed to working hand-in-hand
with Muslim sisters and brothers, with whom we share a common history
along with spiritual and social values. We seek to work for national
reconciliation and healing through building trust.’

From: Baghdasarian

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Jan 19 2014

Hrant Dink’s friends call for `justice’ on 7th year of murder

ISTANBUL

The crowd marched to the front of Armenian weekly Agos, where Hrant
Dink was murdered in broad daylight by a 17-year-old ultranationalist
in 2007. DHA Photo

Tens of thousands gathered in Istanbul to mark the seventh anniversary
of the killing of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink on Jan. 19.

The Friends of Hrant Dink organization, established in memory of the
late journalist, called for a march starting at 1:30 p.m. from Taksim
Square, which ended with a homage to Dink in front of the Agos
newspaper’s office building in the Pangaltı neighborhood of Å?iÅ?li.

Police took tight security measures around Istanbul’s Taksim Square
and closed Gezi Park, which was the site of massive resistance against
the government last summer, ahead of the commemoration.

The crowd marched to the front of Armenian weekly Agos, where Hrant
Dink was murdered in broad daylight by a 17-year-old nationalist in
2007.

At 2:56 p.m., mourners observed a minute of silence for Dink, after
which Gülten Kaya, the widow of late singer Ahmet Kaya, took the
microphone. Kaya commemorated not only Dink, but also those who were
killed during the Gezi Park Resistance last year. `We are here not
only to remember Hrant, but also Ethem [Sarısülük], Abdullah [Cömert],
Medeni [Yıldırım], Ahmet [Atakan] and those who died in the Gezi
protests,’ Kaya said. `You have left mothers and fathers devoid of
their children. Sons of this country were shot with treacherous
bullets. How can we forget how many homes were broken?’ she said.

Hrant Dink commemorated seven years after his murder

`What is your truth? This is 2014: You are carrying guns in your
trucks instead of peace, democracy and human rights,’ Kaya added,
addressing Turkey’s security forces.

Dink, the highly esteemed former editor-in-chief of weekly Agos, was
murdered in broad daylight in front of his newspaper’s building on
Jan. 19, 2007ü by a 17-year-old Turkish nationalist. The triggerman,
Ogün Samast, was convicted of premeditated murder and sentenced to 22
years and 10 months of prison after a two year-trial.

The marchers chanted the slogan `Buradayız Ahparig!’ (a half-Turkish,
half-Armenian slogan meaning `We are here, brother”), `For Hrant, for
justice,’ and `We are all Armenians,’ in front of the Agos office. A
popular chant from the Gezi Park protests, `Everywhere is Taksim,
everywhere is resistance,’ was also heard.

After the rallyended, the crowd marched to Taksim.

In a controversial apparent gesture, a number of traffic police
officers assigned to the area were photographed wearing white caps. On
the day of the murder, Samast was wearing a white cap, which later
became an infamous symbol of the incident and a badge of pride among
ultranationalist fascists.

ErtuÄ?rul Günay, a former member of the ruling Justice and Development
Party (AKP), asked Istanbul Gov. Hüseyin Avni Mutlu, who became the
subject of mass revilement last year due to perceived lies surrounding
the police’s often brutal conduct during the Gezi Resistance, over
Twitter who had ordered the police to don white caps.

A small group of Trabzonspor supporters also attracted attention,
carrying a banner that read “We have not forgotten” in honor of the
slain journalist; Samast and those involved in instigating the murder
were based in Trabzon, and the Black Sea side’s supporters are
infamous for their ultranationalism. During the march, the Trabzonspor
supporters chanted “Trabzonspor is here, where are the gangs?”

The Dink murder case remains unsolved, with the court ruling that it
was not a result of an organized crime to the dismay of Dink’s family
and supporters. The ruling was mde despite serious claims that a
number of civil servants linked to the `deep state’ were `indirectly’
involved.

The acquittal of top suspects was ultimately overturned by the Supreme
Court of Appeals and many key suspects charged as instigators of the
murder, such as Yasin Hayal and Erhan Tuncel, are currently being
retried.

The organizers of the commemorative march also denounced the trial
process, accusing the state of protecting those responsible for the
murder.

January/19/2014

From: Baghdasarian