Memorial Service to be held commemorating Hrant Dink's assassination

A memorial service commemorating the fourth anniversary of Hrank Dink's assassination will be held on Sunday, January 23, 20111 at St Mary Armenian Apostolic Church of Toronto, Canada, the Armenian National Committee of Toronto reported.

Hrant Dink, the editor-in-chief of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspaper Agos, was assassinated in Istanbul on January 19, 2007 by a radical Turkish nationalist. Hrant Dink was one of Turkey's most prominent Armenian voices and, despite threats on his life, refused to remain silent on matters of concern to the community. Hrant Dink emphasized the need for democratization in Turkey and focused on the issues of free speech, minority and civic rights. In his public speeches, he never refrained from using the word genocide when referring to the Armenian Genocide, a term fiercely rejected by Turkey. Tragically, that cost him his life.

Hrant Dink's outspokenness on rights and freedoms was considered to be insulting "Turkishness". He was therefore prosecuted under the infamous Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, and received a six month suspended sentence. This arbitrary law turned Hrant Dink into a target for death threats, intimidation and eventually assassination. Although the suspected killer and his accomplices have been put on trial, the investigation for the case has been stalled and many important records and files have gone missing. The Turkish justice system continues to fail the memory of Hrant Dink by dragging out the trial process and by failing to provide his family the closure it so desperately needs.

It is essential for the Turkish Government to acknowledge the influential role of its institutions in shaping public perception and should use them to teach tolerance rather than hate. This is primarily true when it comes to justice and education. The Turkish government needs to acknowledge the country's past history of genocide and the current violations of human rights in order to allow the emancipation of today's Turkish society from the weight of a troubled history. Consequently, serious modifications need to be made in the educational and legal realms to encourage Turkish society to practice respect and compassion towards religious and cultural differences.