Hrant Dink Foundation: Come, Let us Change

* Photo: Hrant Dink Foundation

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Hrant Dink Foundation has released a new statement regarding the threatening messages sent to Rakel Dink, the wife of late journalist Hrant Dink, who was assassinated in front of Agos Newspaper in İstanbul on January 19, 2007, and attorneys of the Hrant Dink Foundation.

Published on the official website of the foundation, the statement entitled "Come, let us change" has read as follows:

"Following our public announcement about the racist and discriminatory threats sent to our foundation, we have received messages of solidarity from many individuals and organizations in Turkey and from abroad.

"We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who did condemn this discriminatory attitude, who did not leave us alone by expressing their empowering and encouraging messages and who drew attention to the dangerous course of events in Turkey.

'We expect the investigation to go further'

"Although it is important to see that the persons who threatened our Foundation, Rakel Dink and our lawyers were arrested promptly and that the authorities did not remain indifferent to what had happened, more importantly we expect the investigation to go further to reveal all the linkages. Most importantly, we demand to see the real instigators being brought to justice in the Hrant Dink Assassination Trial, which has been continuing since 2007.

"Nowadays, we bear witness to a historic public reaction against impunity and discrimination in the USA. As the Hrant Dink Foundation, we would like to salute everyone respectfully across the globe and in Turkey, who strive to voice their quest for equality, freedom and justice by putting mutual understanding, empathy and dialogue at the core of their struggle."

Thank you for all your support following the threats directed against our foundation. In the midst of worrying events in Turkey and in the world, in pursuit of a world free of discrimination, we insist on love, hope and #JusticeForAll #ComeLetUsChange pic.twitter.com/HK6dxOMqS2

— HrantDink Foundation (@HrantDinkFnd) June 6, 2020

What happened?

On May 29, Hrant Dink Foundation released a written statement for the press and announced that Rakel Dink, the wife of late journalist Hrant Dink, and the attorneys of the foundation received death threats via email on May 27 and 28. The foundation indicated that it notified Şişli District Security Directorate and İstanbul Governor's Office of the threats.

"The email included the phrase 'We may turn up one night, when you least expect it', a slogan used boastfully in certain circles, and the very same slogan we were well used to hearing before Hrant Dink was so publicly assassinated, and with the knowledge of official bodies, on 19 January 2007. The threat accuses the Hrant Dink Foundation of telling 'tales of fraternity', demands us to leave the country and threatens Rakel Dink and the foundation's lawyer with death," the statement read.

Süleyman Soylu, the Minister of Interior, made a brief statement about the issue on his Twitter account one day later, on May 30, and announced that the suspect who sent the threatening mails in question was caught.

Later in the day, it was announced that H.A. (25) was taken into custody in the district of Selçuk in Turkey's central anatolian province of Konya.

Taken to İstanbul by the Security Department teams, H.A. has been arrested on charge of "repetitive threats with anonymous letters or special signs."

After the incident, Fethiye Çetin, an attorney of Hrant Dink Foundation, spoke to bianet about the issue and said that the foundation received another threatening message at the night of May 31.

As part of an ex officio investigation launched by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, suspect E.B. was detained in İstanbul on June 1 for having allegedly sent the second threatening message to the foundation. He was also arrested one day later. (RT/SD)