Author: Kalantarian Kevo

Vavel
Jan 20 2015

Lucescu: “Mkhitaryan would be a perfect fit for Juventus”

Shakhtar Donetsk coach Mircea Lucescu has encouraged Juventus to
express interest in Borussia Dortmund midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan
rather than Galatasaray star Wesley Sneijder.

The 69-year-old Romanian endured spells in Italy with Pisa, Brescia,
Reggiana and Inter throughout the 1990’s. Lucescu has been at Shakthar
since 2004, winning the Ukrainian League eight times and the Ukranian
Cup four times, his seemingly greatest achievement was winning the
UEFA Cup in 2008-09.

“It was hard to see him leave Shakhtar for Dortmund, but we still have
a great relationship,” Lucescu told Tuttosport.

“It would not surprise me if he were to join Juventus. He is a guy who
needs to feel affection and there’s too much pressure on him at
Dortmund. I think his cycle at Dortmund is over.

“He would be great behind Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez.

“Mkhitaryan is much quicker and runs more than Sneijder. He is a
complete player. He creates chances, wins back balls and always keeps
on going. It is important for him to find the right environment
again.”

The Armenian who signed in 2013 still has two more years remaining on
his contract with Dortmund.

Tehran’s Armenian diocese slams Charlie Hebdo’s insulting cartoon
Political Desk

On Line: 20 January 2015 18:00
In Print: Wednesday 21 January 2015

TEHRAN – The Armenian Diocese of Tehran has condemned French weekly
Charlie Hebdo for publishing an insulting cartoon of Islam’s holy
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

Speaking at a cultural ceremony in Iran’s capital on Monday, Sahak
Khosravian, the representative of the Archbishop of Armenian church in
Tehran, lashed out at the French satirical magazine for its
sacrilegious move, according to the Tasnim news agency.

“The Armenian Diocese of Tehran, for its part, condemns such a move.
We condemn insults to any dear prophet as a shameful action, and hope
that such moves would not occur anywhere in the world,” Khosravian
said.

Last Wednesday’s edition of Charlie Hebdo, which sold millions of
copies, shows a cartoon of Prophet Mohammad holding a “Je suis
Charlie” (I am Charlie) sign, a slogan widely used following the
January 7 attack on the magazine.

MT/MD

Interfax, Russia
Jan 19 2015

Bastrykin expected to visit Armenia to discuss the murders of six
people where Russian soldier is suspect

YEREVAN. Jan 19

Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the Russian Investigative Committee,
will visit Yerevan on Monday at the invitation of his Armenian
counterpart Agvan Ovsepyan.

The Armenian Investigative Committee told Interfax the heads of the
Investigative Committees will discuss issues relating to the killing
of a family of six in Gyumri, in which Russian soldier Valery
Permyakov is suspected.

“Bearing in mind the characteristics of this criminal case, Agvan
Ovsepyan invited Alexander Bastrykin to Armenia. The invitation was
accepted and the visit will take place today,” the source said.

According to earlier reports, a family of six, including a two-year
old child, were murdered in Gyumri, northern Armenia, on January 12.
The only survivor, six-months-old Sergei Avetisyan, was hospitalized
with a stab wound.

Valery Permyakov, a serviceman from Russia’s 102nd military base, who
is deployed in Gyumri, was detained shortly after the attack. He is
now on the territory of the military base. Criminal charges were
brought against him on January 14 based on the Russian and Armenian
Criminal Codes.

On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin called his Armenian
counterpart Serzh Sargsyan to again extend his condolences to the
victims’ relatives and all people of Armenia in regard of the tragedy
in Gyumri.

WPS Agency, Russia
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
January 19, 2015 Monday

The army is exposed to critique again

Society is unhappy with chic of generals and secrecy of statistical
data on deaths, accidents and crimes of servicemen

WPS observer

After the shock related to cruel murder of an Armenian family by a
Russian serviceman of the 102nd military base in Gyumri experts and
human rights activists try to analyze reasons of the tragedy.
Unfortunately, general systemic problems related to crime in the
troops are revealed at this point. Neither the Defense Ministry, nor
the Main Military Prosecutor’s Office has provided precise statistical
data on this crime to the society in open access for a long time.
Along with this, judging by publications of mass media and information
of human rights activists, situation remains complicated, unauthorized
relations, beating, murders and suicides happen in the Armed forces
still and we almost do not see any work of commanders on prevention of
these accidents.

WPS turned to some members of the public council of the Defense
Ministry for comments on this. These are people who have access to
information about the situation in the Russian army. Their comments
turned out to be very critique-oriented but also very important. One
of the members of the public council of the Defense Ministry willing
to remain anonymous reported that “Tragedy in Gyumri happened because
top-ranking officials of the Defense Ministry reduced control over the
system of selection of personnel for Russian military bases stationed
abroad. Russia does not have very many such objects and it is quite
possible to select the best of the best for them.” The expert pointed
out that in the past it was planned to start manning our military
bases abroad with contract servicemen alone but this did not happen
yet. It turns out that conscript soldiers who are sent there are not
of the highest quality. The expert said, “Brother of the soldier who
killed the Armenian family had a criminal conviction for murder. It
turned out that Permyakov had breaches of discipline. And such person
was put on sentinel duty to fulfill a combat task. This is an obvious
mistake of not only command of the base. At this point we see general
systemic mistakes related to general control over troops. Some
officials of the Defense Ministry should be taken to account for
this.”

Valentina Melnikova, responsible secretary of the soldiers’ mothers
committee and member of the public council of the Defense Ministry,
commented on the situation, “No matter what officials of the Defense
Ministry say about maintenance of proper order and military discipline
in the army, unfortunately, we in soldiers’ mothers organizations
encounter growth of the quantity of complaints from parents of
conscript servicemen starting since 2013 about hooliganism in the
barracks, extortion on the part of commanders, breaches during the
draft etc. We have reported about these facts to top-ranking officials
of the Defense Ministry and to the Main Military Prosecutor’s Office
frequently. However, we do not see proper reaction to these reports.”
Melnikova was concerned about the fact that at its meetings the public
council of the Defense Ministry never discussed issues of order
enforcement and combating of hazing in the troops in detail. She
stated, “It turns out as if there are no such problems at all but this
is not so. Mothers of soldiers from whom commanders take money and
telephones and whom they beat phone me permanently. Such situation
prospers especially at our military bases abroad where conscript
servicemen receive increased salaries. Soldiers are robbed but it is
very difficult to somehow help them there and we sometimes encounter
cold indifference in the troops.” According to Melnikova, there is no
efficient civil control over the army still.

Alexander Kanshin, chair of the council of the national association of
union of officers of the reserve of the Armed Forces (MEGAPIR) and
deputy chair of the public council of the Defense Ministry, has a
similar opinion. He says that the problem of civil control over
activity of the Defense Ministry “remains very important still.”
However, he associates the problems that appear in this area with
activity or, to be more accurate, mistakes of the Main Military
Prosecutor’s Office. In a recent interview to Interfax-AVN Kanshin
announced that “In the last few years, the Main Military Prosecutor’s
Office started interacting with civil society, Public Chamber and
public council of the Defense Ministry weakly. We do not have the
contact now that we have had before. That is why we do not have
official information about deaths of people, about notorious hazing in
the troops, about outrageous actions of officers that are,
unfortunately, not rare yet.” Along with this, we can say that Defense
Ministry could provide such information too.

Meanwhile, Kanshin is also worried by the fact that somehow the Main
Military Prosecutor’s Office hushes down statistical data related to
theft of state money among generals now. Meanwhile, this is a
competence of military prosecutors for sure. He said, “I turned to the
Main Military Prosecutor’s Office with a proposal to publish these
data but they answered: this cannot be done because this will hit
prestige of the army. I absolutely disagree with such formulation of
the matter. Absence of objective information about crimes including
non-combatant losses hits the prestige of the army more seriously. I
am convinced that secrecy and departure from publicity is the first
steps towards neglecting of these problems. Meanwhile, it is necessary
to reveal them on the contrary. It is necessary to respond about every
death and every loss.”

Kanshin also characterized the current morale of generals,
“Unfortunately, the level of general culture in the troops decreased
enormously in the last few years. Even senior officers, generals and
commanders often speak harshly to the subordinates and humiliate
them.” He points at such negative phenomenon as “commercialization of
military service and wish of some officers, including top-ranking
ones, “to profiteer” from sale of real estate and from notorious
“kickback.” Kanshin points out, “I tell even commanders of high rank
at meetings: your service is according to another price list. Why do
you built mansions and palaces and buy yachts and jeeps, be more
modest if you have put shoulder straps on. You have a different system
of values. But not everyone understands this. you see a military
commander who builds a three-storied house on unknown revenues in one
place and you see a commander who buys something not in accordance
with his salary in another place and you see a commander who
celebrates his birthday so pompously that not very oligarch can afford
this somewhere else. Unfortunately, there is this infection among
officers.”

Such frank opinions of military experts will hardly be liked by
top-ranking officials of the Defense Ministry and Main Military
Prosecutor’s Office. It is also unknown which conclusions will be
drawn from this. In any case, one thing is already clear that along
with achievements in military development a certain rotting is also
inherent to our Armed Forces and generals and certain closeness of the
army from the society originates from this. But such closeness will
hardly save it from emergency situations and crime if no serious
measures are taken for solving of these problems.

On the eve of 2015, the Defense Ministry published a booklet entitled
“Army in figures.” On more than 200 pages the ministry published
statistical data on activity, achievements of the army etc. It seems
to be impressive. However, only two phrases are dedicated to the
problems of crime in the Armed Forces there, “The Armed Forces have
been and remain one of the most law-abiding institutions of the state.
The level of crime in the troops is 54.55% lower than in the country
as a whole.”

[Translated from Russian]

The Gyumri killings: Beyond the Legal Arguments

By Houry Mayissian on January 20, 2015
Special for the Armenian Weekly

More than a week since the Gyumri killings, the city and Armenia at
large are still struggling to come to terms with the heinous crime
that wiped out an entire family. As the massacre’s youngest victim,
six-month-old Seryozha Avetisyan succumbed to his injuries on Monday,
many questions remain unanswered; chief among them – what happens to
the culprit?

A requiem sevice in memory of six-month-old Seryozha Avetisyan took
place in Gyumri on Jan. 20. (Photo: Photolure/Hayk Baghdasaryan)

Valery Permyakov, a Russian soldier stationed at the 102nd Russian
Military Base in Gyumri, is said to be responsible for the multiple
killings. Permyakov was captured by Russian border guards trying to
flee across the Armenian-Turkish border and remains in Russian custody
to this day.

Immediately after the tragic event, angry protests broke out in
Gyumri, demanding that Permyakov be handed over to the Armenian
justice system. However, announcements made by Russian and Armenian
officials indicate that this is unlikely to be the case.

A statement by Armenia’s Office of the Prosecutor General first cited
the Russian Constitution that bars the extradition of a Russian
citizen to a foreign country. Questions about how and why Permyakov
appeared and remains in Russian custody aside, it is incomprehensible
why a representative of Armenia’s justice system would refer to the
Russian Constitution in relation to a crime committed on Armenian
soil.

Facing mounting pressure from the public while in Gyumri, Prosecutor
General Gevorg Kostanyan then gave assurances that Permyakov will be
tried in Armenia but shied away from promising that he will be
prosecuted in an Armenian court. The best he could offer protestors in
Gyumri was a promise to appeal to his Russian counterpart asking for
Permyakov’s handover. It is unclear what steps Kostanyan has taken
since.

The 1997 bilateral treaty between Russia and Armenia that established
the terms under which the Russian 102nd military base is stationed in
Gyumri, states that soldiers who commit crimes outside the confines of
the base are subject to Armenian law. The same treaty upholds Russian
jurisdiction over crimes committed within Russian military facilities
in Armenia, a clause that has been cited as one justification for not
handing over Permyakov, given that the latter also deserted his base
just before allegedly committing the crime.

In essence, however, the criminal’s handover is not about what legal
frameworks apply and which loopholes can be exploited. It is about
Armenia’s leadership (finally) speaking out for its people; it is
about respect between two nations; it is a matter of pride, dignity
and justice for a nation too often overlooked by its own government
and too often coerced by its more powerful neighbor.

In essence, however, the criminal’s handover is not about what legal
frameworks apply and which loopholes can be exploited. It is about
Armenia’s leadership (finally) speaking out for its people; it is
about respect between two nations; it is a matter of pride, dignity
and justice for a nation too often overlooked by its own government
and too often coerced by its more powerful neighbor.

While the country mourns, protests and demands answers, the silence of
its leaders has been deafening. Save for a few meagre announcements
that expressed condolences and urged restraint, the President, the
government, the political parties have, by and large, been silent;
silent and absent.

There has been no condemnation, no outrage, no genuine sympathy.
Attempts to declare a national day of mourning have been dismissed.
And when the people of Gyumri bid farewell to the Avetisyan family at
a sombre funeral service, there was no one standing by their side to
share their pain and to assure them that Armenian citizens are safe in
their homeland, that answers will be provided, that this won’t happen
again in a city that has already suffered so much loss.

If the intent of the silence has been to not upset Russia, ironically
it has proved counter-productive as evidenced by the protests held
outside the Russian diplomatic representations in Yerevan and Gyumri
as well as the Military Base itself. If it has simply been a matter of
incompetence, then sadly, that’s a tragedy of its own.

The Armenian government needs to speak up for its people. Rather than
citing the Russian constitution, it has to do everything in its power
to ensure Permyakov’s handover. Rather than curbing protests, it
should provide the people with a sense of security and assurances that
justice will be served. Whatever the end result may be, the people of
Armenia need to know that their government made every effort possible
on their behalf.

The Russian government too has a role to play. At this point in time
in particular, it needs to demonstrate respect for the wishes of a
deeply wounded nation, an ally and neighbour, and hand over the
soldier responsible for the killings without any further delay.

The Russian government too has a role to play. At this point in time
in particular, it needs to demonstrate respect for the wishes of a
deeply wounded nation, an ally and neighbour, and hand over the
soldier responsible for the killings without any further delay.

It is not the first time that a citizen of one country is found guilty
of committing a crime in the other. In July 2013, Hrachya Harutyuyan,
a citizen of Armenia working as a truck driver in Russia, crashed his
vehicle into a bus, resulting in the unfortunate death of 18 people.
Shortly after his arrest, Harutyunyan was brought before a Russian
courtroom dressed in women’s clothing, the humiliating photos causing
much anger in Armenia. Harutyunyan is currently serving a six-year
prison sentence in Russia. It is impossible to not compare the action
and reaction in each case.

No, the handling of the Permyakov case is not about jurisdiction. For
the people of Armenia, it is about instilling justice and restoring
the dignity of Armenia. It is about ensuring that Armenia’s
relationship with Russia be based on mutual respect and understanding
– not merely on a cold calculation of national interests.

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Jan 19 2015

Gerard Araud: “Armenian genocide” is an opinion, not a fact

19 January 2015 – 3:33pm

The Holocaust is a fact, the “Armenian genocide” is just an opinion,
the French Ambassador to the US Gerard Araud said in an interview with
US cable channel MSNBC.

The diplomat recalled that in France there is no law criminalizing
denial of the Armenian interpretation of the events of the First World
War. The denial of the Holocaust as a fact is a criminal offense.

The European Court of Human Rights imposed a sentence with similar
content on December 17th 2013 in Dogu Perincek’s suit against
Switzerland. The ECHR considered that the Armenian version of the
events of 1915 was not only deprived of the verdict of an
international tribunal as a condition for establishing the fact of
genocide, but even a consensus in the academic environment, AzerTac
reported.

After the verdict the Swiss government filed an appeal under pressure
from the Armenian lobby, which will be considered by the supreme
authority of the ECHR on January 28 this year.

Global Voices Online
Jan 19 2015

Eight Years After His Politically Motivated Death, Hrant Dink Still
Cannot Rest in Peace

Posted 19 January 2015

On January 19, 2007, Hrant Dink, an Armenian journalist, was murdered
by 17-year-old Ogün Samast, an ultra-nationalist from the Turkish city
of Trabzon. After a trial spanning half a decade, Samast was sentenced
to nearly 23 years in jail in 2011.

Dink was viewed by many as a leader of the Armenian community in
Turkey, that pressed for a recognition of the 1915 Armenian Genocide,
while also being a proud citizen of Turkey.

Supporters of Dink, who edited the bilingual Turkish-Armenian
newspaper Agos, believe that the murder was an organized act, which
included officials in the upper echelons of the government. In order
to answer these claims, another trial was held in Istanbul lasting
five years. Despite all the evidence compiled by Dink’s legal team,
only one other man faced an aggravated life sentence for soliciting
the murder, while 19 suspects were acquitted of being members of a
terrorist organization. The verdict was met by public outcry as the
Turkish state was once again shown incapable of shining a light on
political murders.

In May 2013, the Istanbul court’s verdict was found to be
unsatisfactory by Turkey’s Supreme Court of Appeals in Ankara. This
court argued that the government had bungled and eliminated evidence
that could lead to the arrest of officials, and ordered a retrial.

Nationalism’s Nest in the Turkish State

The idea that nationalism is welcome in Turkey is nothing new, but,
the initial arrest of Ogün Samast was a particularly ugly sort of
confirmation of its pervasiveness: when taken back to the station
after being detained Samast posed for photos with police officers and
a Turkish flag.

Ogün Samast, assasin of Hrant Dink, and police taking a picture in
front of the Turkish flag after his arrest in Samsun, 2007. Widely
shared.

The five years following this arrest witnessed false statements from
different state officials, disappeared evidence, and a reluctance on
the part of officials to question and punish highly ranked officials.

Writing in 2012, just as a separate investigation into an
ultranationalist group — Ergenekon – believed to be plotting the
overthrow of the ruling Justice and Development (AKP) party was being
carried out very thoroughly, one blogger, Gün Zileli, railed against
the seeming hypocrisy of the situation:

Translation
Original Quote

Ogün Samast and couple of his friends were on trial for five years.
Hrant Dink’s friends and lawyers made an enormous effort to reveal the
instigators of the murder inside the state, their relationship [to the
killing], and the identities of the state and police officials who
organized the murder. Yet, both public prosecutors and the court
itself tried very hard to limit the case to people that had already
stood trial. For example, while the ‘Ergenekon case’ was widened to
the maximum in the name of ‘finding various connections’ and
[targeting] everyone opposed to the government, the Hrant Dink case,
was, with a conscious effort, limited only to the already prosecuted,
and the court decision itself obstructed anyone wanting to follow the
obvious connections.

Ogün Samast ve birkaç arkadaþý beþ yýl boyunca yargýlandýlar. Hrant
Dink’in arkadaþlarý ve avukatlarý, katillerin devlet içindeki
azmettiricilerini, iliþkilerini, cinayeti örgütleyen devlet ve polis
görevlilerini ortaya çýkartmak için beþ yýl boyunca büyük çaba
gösterdiler. Buna karþýlýk, Hrant Dink davasýnýn savcýlarý ve mahkeme
de, cinayeti sadece yargýlananlarla kýsýtlý tutmak için büyük çaba
gösterdi. Örneðin, “Ergenekon” davasý, “çeþitli baðlantýlarý bulmak”
adýna azami ölçüde geniþletilir ve bu davaya, hükümete muhalif herkes
sokulurken, Hrant Dink davasý, çok bilinçli bir çabayla, sadece
yargýlananlarla kýsýtlý tutuldu, ayan beyan ortaya çýkan baðlantýlara
gidilmesi bizzat mahkemenin kararlarýyla engellendi.

Nationalist sentiment surrounding the Hrant Dink case has been visible
on the street as well as in the courtroom. The day after his
commemoration last year, the website of Dink’s Agos newspaper was
hacked by nationalists who superimposed Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, a
powerful symbol of Turkish homogeneity. Police officiating the 2014
commemoration ceremony wore white berets, similar to the one Ogün
Samast had worn the day he murdered Hrant Dink. This year hateful
tweets appeared glorifying the murder and congratulating Samast.

January 19, 2014, Hrant Dink’s commemoration. Police wearing white
berets. Widely shared.

Hopes for justice, or just more political retributions?

The retrial has offered hope that important state officials might face
prosecution. So far Istanbul city’s then-commissioner Celalettin
Cerrah, deputy governor Erol Güngör, and the intelligence chief of
Istanbul’s police intelligence unit at the time of Dink’s murder,
Ahmet Ýlhan Güler, have all been summoned to court to testify.

On the day of Dink’s commemoration this year, Commisioner of Cizre
Ercan Demir, also turned himself in in Ankara.

But many fear the government is now using the retrial to prosecute
members of the so-called ‘parallel state’ Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdoðan believes is being supported by US-based scholar and
acrimonious political rival Fethullah Gülen, and support a purge of
the government.

Using the ‘cemaat’ term that refers to followers of Gülen, one tweep despaired:

They are trying to say that #HrantDink’s murderer is “cemaat”. They
are trying to wash away 12 years long AKP tyranny with “cemaat”. If
you buy it.

Agos’s headline for tomorrow [“This Case Does Not Fit with
‘Parallel’-2”) Anyone disagrees?

Indeed, Hrant Dink’s case does not quite fit in with the ‘parallel
state’ narrative, since Gülen and Erdoðan were seen as political
allies during this time. As Ümit Kývanç writes on the Riya Tabirleri
blog:

Translation
Original Quote

It is time for me to remind the whole government, especially the
president, of a truth they are trying to make us forget: While
[Gülen’s] armed bureaucrats were acting at the time, unlike today,
they did not consider themselves as members of a ‘parallel
organization’ in conflict with the government. Government [at the
time] perceived them as its own men as well.

Baþta cumhurbaþkaný, bu hükümetin özellikle unutturmaya çalýþtýðý bir
hakikati hatýrlamanýn tam da yeri burasý: Cemaat’in silahlý
bürokratlarý bu iþleri yaparken, þimdiki gibi, hükümetle kavga
halindeki bir “paralel yapý”nýn elemanlarý saymýyorlardý kendilerini.
Hükümet de onlara kendi adamlarý gözüyle bakýyordu.

January 19, 2015 is the eighth year since Hrant Dink’s death, while
2015 marks the 100th year of Armenian genocide.

Like the previous years, the walk started from Taksim and ended in
front of Agos, where he was murdered. Thousands have gathered at his
commemoration and demanded justice for his murder and recognition of
the Armenian genocide.

As was the case last year, people have come together under the
hashtags #HrantIcinAdaletIcýn (For Hrant, for Justice),
#FasizmeInatKardesimsinHrant (You are my brother in spite of fascism),
#BuradayýzAhparig (We are here my brother) and #HrantDink.

One of the most poignant tweets ahead of Dink’s commemoration focussed
on the journalist’s popular appeal to people of all creeds and
cultures living in Turkey:

He was one of the very rare ones that we all found meaningful and
created a real bond with. “We are all Hrant”
#Buradayýzahparig
#HrantIcinAdaletIcin

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Jan 19 2015

Hrant Dink commemorated on 8th anniversary of murder as calls for justice grow

by ARSLAN AYAN / ISTANBUL

Thousands of people marched from Taksim Square to the headquarters of
the Agos newspaper to commemorate slain Armenian-Turkish journalist
Hrant Dink, who was shot dead outside his newspaper’s office in Ã…?iÃ…?li,
Ä°stanbul, on Jan. 19, 2007, on the eighth anniversary of his
assassination.

The large crowd gathered in Taksim at 1:30 p.m. on Monday and began to
march to the Agos weekly headquarters in Ã…?iÃ…?li, as they have done
every year on Jan. 19 since Dink’s murder. They march to express
support for Dink’s family and demand justice. Dink’s family, friends
and human rights organizations welcomed the crowd on the spot where
Dink was shot dead in Ä°stanbul outside the office of Agos, the
Armenian newspaper where he was editor-in-chief.

Speaking to the crowd from the balcony of Agos, Murathan Mungan, a
famous Turkish poet and author, stated that those who murder Dink
actually murdered the voice of the peace of which they could not
understand. `Hrant spoke a kind of Turkish and Armenian that they [who
murdered him] somehow could not understand. He spoke the language of
peace,’ Mungan told the crowd.

`One of the dreams of Hrant Dink was to see the opening of the
Turkish-Armenian border because reopening the border would develop the
two nations’ relations and bring misunderstandings to an end.
Reopening of the border would mean the opportunity to start over.
Today, as well as remembering Hrant’s memory, we will also remember
his dreams and do everything to bring them to fruition,’ Mungan added.

Speaking to Today’s Zaman just before the commemoration ceremony
started, Dink’s widow, Rakel Dink, stated that although it has been
eight years without Hrant, justice has not yet been served. Rakel Dink
also said that what keeps her strong is knowing that hundreds of
thousands of people share her pain every year on Jan. 19 since her
husband’s murder.

The parents of Berkin Elvan, a teenager who died after being hit by a
teargas canister fired by the police during the Gezi protests of 2013,
also attended Dink’s commemoration ceremony and greeted the crowd that
gathered outside the Agos headquarters.

Hrant Dink’s widow, Rakel Dink (3rd from L) walks with parents of
Berkin Elvan and lawmakers from the CHP and the HDP. (Photo: Today’s
Zaman, Turgut Engin)

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman Sezgin
Tanrıkulu also participated in the march and spoke with the press
following the ceremony in front of the Agos headquarters. Tanrıkulu
stated that Dink was murdered during the reign of the Justice and
Development Party (AK Party), and therefore the government was guilty
of negligence. `Unfortunately, instead of bringing this murder to
light, the government is trying to lay its responsibility on others,’
Tanrıkulu said in reference to the government’s recent efforts to
associate the Dink assassination with the faith-based Hizmet movement,
which is inspired by the teachings of prominent Turkish Islamic
scholar Fethullah Gülen.

Many at Monday’s march wore badges and carried placards declaring `We
are here Ahparig!, We are all Armenians. We will not forget.’ Ahparig
means `my brother’ in Armenian.

A woman looks out of a window near a banner marking the eighth
anniversary of the killing of Hrant Dink in Ä°stanbul. The banner
reads: “We are here, my brother. 8th year” (Photo: Reuters)

Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was shot by a 17-year-old boy,
Ogün Samast, on Jan. 19, 2007, in front of the Agos office, where he
served as editor-in-chief. In January 2012, Samast was sentenced to 22
years, 10 months in prison by a juvenile court while a court ruled on
life imprisonment for Yasin Hayal on charges of instigating the
murder. Another suspect, Erhan Tuncel, was acquitted of murder
charges.

In May 2013, the Supreme Court of Appeals overturned the court’s
original ruling, which dismissed the existence of an organized
criminal network in the case. The lower court, which found no evidence
that a terrorist organization was involved in Samast’s assassination
of Dink in 2007, had acquitted the suspects of claims that they had
formed a terrorist organization. The court did, however, say they were
guilty of forming an illegal and armed organization to commit a crime,
prohibited under Article 220 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK).

Thousands of protesters gather outside the Agos newspaper. (Photo:
Today’s Zaman, Hüseyin Sarı)

Journalists’ unions commemorate Hrant Dink

Leading journalists’ unions, including the Turkish Journalists
Federation (TGF) and the Turkish Journalists Association, also
released statements on Monday to commemorate Dink.

Turkish Journalists Federation (TGF) Chairman Atilla Sertel said the
case launched to find the perpetrators of Dink’s murder has not
reached a conclusion that satisfies the public even though a long time
has passed since the murder. Noting that justice has not yet been
served despite eight years having passed since Dink was shot to death
in the middle of the street, Sertel said they want the real
perpetrators to be revealed and that they want them to suffer the
consequences of their deeds.

The TGF stated in its commemoration message on Monday: `The murderers
and the dark powers behind the Dink murder have not yet been punished,
although years have passed. Hrant Dink, a journalist who was defending
the unity and peaceful co-existence of communities in Turkey, and thus
fighting against racism, was killed by a fascist mindset.’

In its commemoration message, the Turkish Journalists’ Society (TGC)
highlighted that the real criminals behind the murder have not yet
been revealed. It said the public conscience, which was damaged by the
murder, can only be recovered after the real perpetrators are punished
in a fair trial.

The Turkish Journalists Association (TGD) stated in its commemoration
message on Monday: `The murderers and the dark powers behind the Dink
murder have not yet been punished, although years have passed. Hrant
Dink, a journalist who was defending the unity and peaceful
co-existence of communities in Turkey, and thus fighting against
racism, was killed by a fascist mindset.’

In its commemoration message, the Turkish Journalists’ Society (TGC)
highlighted that the real criminals behind the murder have not yet
been revealed. It said the public conscience, which was damaged by the
murder, can only be recovered after the real perpetrators are punished
in a fair trial.

Dink was shot and killed by an ultra-nationalist teenager. The hit
man, Ogün Samast, and 18 others were brought to trial. Since then, the
lawyers for the Dink family and the co-plaintiffs in the case have
presented evidence indicating that Samast did not act alone. Another
suspect, Yasin Hayal, was given life in prison for inciting Samast to
murder.

ARMENIE
L’Arménie solidaire avec le peuple ami français

Depuis le 7 janvier, l’attentat contre Charlie Hebdo et les événements
dramatiques qui ont suivi cet acte terroriste ont constitué le
principal sujet d’actualité des chaînes de télévision et des agences
de presse arméniennes (la presse écrite a interrompu sa parution
jusqu’au 13 janvier). Celles-ci ont régulièrement rendu compte des
événements en France et exprimé la solidarité avec Charlie Hebdo et le
peuple français. Le Président Sarkissian a adressé une lettre au
Président Hollande, condamnant fermement la tuerie, présentant ses
condoléances aux familles des victimes et exprimant sa solidarité avec
la France. >.
Le Ministre des AE, Edward Nalbandian, a également condamné l’attentat
terroriste à Paris : depuis quelques jours >.

Extrait de la revue de presse de l’Ambassade de France en Arménie en
date du 12 janvier 2015

lundi 19 janvier 2015,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

Hurriyet Daily news, Turkey
Jan 19 2015

Remembering through projects of dialogue Hrant Dink

by Emrah Güler

The same year Turkish-Armenian journalist and editor-in-chief Hrant
Dink was assassinated, a foundation was established in his name to
carry out his dreams of peace and dialogue. Here is a look at some of
the Hrant Dink Foundation’s projects on the anniversary of his death

It has been eight years today since Hrant Dink, Turkish-Armenian
journalist and editor-in-chief of the bilingual newspaper Agos, was
assassinated by a young nationalist. Dink was an advocate of
Turkish-Armenian reconciliation and wrote ardently about human and
minority rights. At his funeral, two hundred thousand marched,
chanting `We are all Armenians’ and `We are all Hrant Dink.’

Soon after, a foundation was established in his name to foster and
normalize the relationship between Turkey and Armenia, with the motto,
`The border will first be opened in our minds.’ The activities and
projects at the heart of the Hrant Dink Foundation lie in furthering
cultural dialogue and serving peace and empathy between the two
cultures. Here is a look at some of the foundation’s projects.

The foundation’s most popular project is a film competition called
Films About Conscience, which is much more than a competition. For the
last five years, the short film project is offering an interactive
platform for amateur and professional filmmakers to become part of a
community and talk about conscience through film. The
project/competition is inspired by Dink’s words, `The voice of
conscience has been sentenced to silence. Now, that conscience is
searching for a way out.’

Filmmakers are invited to upload videos of no more than five minutes
to the project’s website. Visitors are encouraged to vote for their
favorite films and publish comments on the films. Films are uploaded,
comments are welcome, votes are encouraged and at the end of a period
of six months, a jury selects the final 20 submissions. There are no
technical criteria. If your films are less than five minutes and are
on the theme of conscience, you are eligible for the competition.

Between March 31 and Nov. 30, 2014, a total of 59 films were uploaded
to the website, both from Turkey and abroad. The winners were
announced on Dec. 10, 2014, World Human Rights Day. The winning films
were selected by a jury including Mexican filmmaker Amat Escalante,
Director of Istanbul Film Festival Azize Tan, actor and writer Ercan
Kesal and writer Ã…?ebnem Ä°Å?igüzel, as well as Dink’s wife, Rakel Dink.

The winning films are collected in a DVD, and recommended to
international film festivals, while the first-place winner is awarded
an incentive scholarship. You can watch this year’s winner, Burkay
DoÄ?an’s short `Ã…?em’ (Candle), on the story of a candle trying to
flicker the burned-out wishes of others, as well as others on the
project’s website (filmsaboutconscience.org).

Beyond Borders

Another project run by the Hrant Dink Foundation, in partnership with
the Civilitas Foundation in Armenia and funded by the European Union,
is the Turkey-Armenia Travel Grant. Hoping to increase direct contacts
and to promote cooperation between the peoples of the two neighboring
countries, the grant has been supporting the travels of 200 people
between the two countries. Other supporters of the project include the
Community Volunteers Foundation (TOG) in Turkey and the Youth
Initiative Centre (YIC) in Gyumri, Armenia.

The grant requires specific goals and activities, such as partnership
building and networking, cross-border cooperation projects, exchange
programs, academic cooperation and joint productions of culture and
arts, among others, from individuals and non-profit civic initiatives.
You can check the Beyond Borders Turkey-Armenia website
(armtr-beyondborders.org) for the visitors’ experiences and
impressions.

Currently, one visitor is set to travel to Armenia to carry out
archival research on the Armenian press during the post-genocide
period as part of his PhD thesis, while another is going to interview
descendants of the 1915 events, associations and institutions for a
daily newspaper and later a book.

Coming to Turkey, a photographer will take photos of Armenian-Turkish
mixed couples living in Turkey and another visitor will work on a
project to create a public online map showing the Armenian heritage in
Istanbul. The travel grant is currently open to applications, with the
next deadline on March 1, to a selection committee deciding on 25
beneficiaries from Turkey, and 15 from Armenia. Check hrantdink.org
for more information on the foundation’s activities.

January/19/2015