Hrant Dink Commemorated: We Don’t Go Anywhere, We Still Cherish Hope

* Photographs: Hikmet Adal

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Editor-in-Chief of Agos Newspaper Hrant Dink, who was murdered in front of Agos Newspaper in Şişli, İstanbul on January 19, 2007, was commemorated in front of the newspaper today (January 19).

Before the commemoration ceremony started at 3 p.m., the street leading to the Agos Newspaper was closed to traffic. One Anti-Riot Water Cannon Vehicle (TOMA), two armoured police vehicles and three police busses were also stationed in front of the Şişli Mosque. While the subway did not stop at the Osmanbey metro station until 3.45 p.m., one TOMA and two police busses were also positioned in front of the Osmanbey metro station.

On the Sebat Apartment, the former building of Agos Newspaper, the photograph of Hrant Dink as well as banners which read "We Demand Justice", "We Don't Give Up Ahparig (Brother)" and "For Hrant, For Justice" signed by Hrant's Friends were hung.

The first speech at the commemoration was made by Bülent Aydın, the presenter of the ceremony:

Aydın: We continue demanding justice for Hrant

"We have been at this square for 12 years. We continue demanding justice for Hrant Dink at this square as well as across the world.

"It has been 12 years. Our sorrow has not soothed. Our demand is clear from the very first day: We demand justice.

"We have come here to say, 'This case does not end before we say so.' We have come here to say, 'Against fascism, you are my brother, Hrant.' Hrant is still lying on this pavement...

"Here is the rostrum of Hrant's newspaper Agos, the rostrum of Hrant himself. Give an ear to the voice coming from here. Let us raise and multiply the voice coming from here.

"We miss you, you are in our hearts ahparig (brother)... We wish that you were here today. This square is a square where we can get close to each other as friends. Maybe, this square is also the square where we are the most powerful. Hrant has not been here for 12 years, there has been no justice for 12 years, there has been no give-up for 12 years."

Letter of Osman Kavala read out

Arrested businessperson Osman Kavala also sent a letter from prison. His colleague Asena Günal read out the letter of Kavala:

"I cannot attend the commemoration as I am in Silivri. My heart is there.

"I am unable to be with Hrant's friends today, which is a great sorrow for me.

"12 years ago today, we saw how easily people can point guns at their brothers and sisters.

"The murder of Hrant makes us think more about how a child can turn into a murderer. On January 19, we come together to stand up against unlawfulness and to struggle for an honorable life."

Filiz Ali: They watch us from the January cold

Filiz Ali, the daughter of writer Sabahattin Ali, who was killed on April 2, 1948, made a speech at the ceremony on behalf of Hrant's Friends:

"My dear brother Hrant. Against the darkness which took you away from us, we are in front of the newspaper that you founded for the 12th time.

"The killed journalists, writers, artists have inflicted deep wounds in the society. Our large family got larger and larger from 1948 to 2007.

"Metin Göktepe, Uğur Mumcu and Muammer Aksoy are watching us from the cold of January. They are here with us today.

"They have been asking the fate and whereabouts of thousands of people who have been subjected to enforced disappearance in Turkey since the 1970s. Come rain or come shine...

"I would really want to give you good news about the last years, but I cannot. Journalists are being held in cold rooms without knowing why they are tried.

"It has been 70 years since my father was disappeared and in these 70 years, injustice and unlawfulness have come to the boil.

"Human memory does not forget the lost values. They confront the society and ask, 'Didn't you feel ashamed in the slightest?'.

"Dear Hrant, we are still here. We do not go anywhere. We still have hope. We continue to say 'We do not give up' with this crowd here everyday."

CLICK - Justice Not Done for 12 Years: Trial of Hrant Dink Murder

(HA/AÖ/SD)

"This case does not end before we say so!"