209 Intellectuals, Artists, Politicians Express Support for Hrant Dink Foundation

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209 intellectuals, writers, artists, activists, journalists and politicians have released a joint statement regarding the threats against Rakel Dink, the wife of late journalist Hrant Dink, and the attorneys of Hrant Dink Foundation as well as the recently escalating attacks against churches in Turkey.

Discriminatory language and behaviors are destructive and divisive, the statement has noted and underlined that they "divide people into camps, impede peaceful co-existence, and sow seeds of conflict."

Expressing their demand for an end to this attitude, the signatories have said, "All components that constitute our people are fundamental constituents; they are citizens of the state who hold equal rights."

The full joint statement is as follows:

'We never accept a mentality that raises a murderer from a baby'

"We, the undersigned, deeply concerned about the recent situation into which our country is being dragged, would like to bring this statement to the attention of our people and all state officials.

"We see the recent provocative attacks, occurring one after another, not as isolated incidents but as fostered by a discourse of bile and hatred, which has been emitted irresponsibly and spread among the masses.

"Discriminatory language and behaviors are destructive and divisive. They divide people into camps, impede peaceful co-existence, and sow seeds of conflict. Othering will benefit no one. Those who embrace such language and behavior should realize that they also designate themselves as 'the other side' and 'the other.' This attitude should be abandoned.

"All components that constitute our people are fundamental constituents; they are citizens of the state who hold equal rights. Ignoring the wide range of values we all share and discriminating among these constituents are contrary to the goal and will to live together. This should be averted.

"We never accept a mentality that 'raises a murderer from a baby' or a system that is dominated by such a mentality.

"We condemn the threats directed at the Hrant Dink Foundation and targeting Rakel Dink and the Foundation's lawyers – the latest example of the mounting events that stir anxiety.

"Respectfully presented to the public."

209 signatories

Abdullah Demirbaş, Abdülbaki Erdoğmuş, Abdülhakim Daş, Adalet Dinamit, Ahmet Aykaç , Ahmet Dindar, Ahmet İnsel, Ahmet Telli, Ahmet Türk, Ahmet Ümit, Ahu Özyurt , Akın Atalay, Akın Birdal, Ali Bayramoğlu, Ali Bilge, Ali Uçansu, Ani Çelik Arevyan , Arus Yumul , Arzu Başaran, Ataol Behramoğlu, Ateş İlyas Başsoy , Atila Eralp, Aydın Engin, Aydın Selcen, Ayfer Bartu Candan, Ayhan Aktar , Ayşe Cemal, Ayşe Erzan, Ayşe Gözen, Ayşe Gül Altınay, Ayşe Hür, Ayşe Kadıoğlu, Ayşe Yüksel , Ayşegül Devecioğlu, Ayşen Candaş, Ayşenil Şamlıoğlu , Aytuna Tosunoğlu Çalık, Bahadır Kaleağası , Bahri Belen, Banu Tesal, Barbaros Şansal, Baskın Oran, Bekir Ağırdır, Belçim Bilgin, Betül Tanbay, Bingöl Erdumlu, Binnaz Toprak, Burhan Sönmez, Bülent Erkmen, Can Dündar, Canan Tolon, Celalettin Can, Cem Mansur, Cengiz Aktar, Cengiz Çandar , Çağatay Anadol, Çiğdem Mater, Dinçer Demirkent, Doğan Bermek, Doğan Özgüden, Edhem Eldem, Ekrem Baran, Emine Çaykara , Emine Uşaklıgil, Enes Atila Pay, Engin Özendes, Erdağ Aksel, Erdoğan Aydın, Erdoğan Kahyaoğlu, Esra Koç, Eşber Yağmurdereli, Etyen Mahçupyan, Fahri Aral, Fazıl Hüsnü Erdem , Ferhat Kentel, Ferhat Tunç, Fethiye Çetin, Fırat Güllü, Fikret Başkaya, Filiz Ali , Fuat Keyman, Füsun Eczacıbaşı, Gençay Gürsoy, Gila Benmayor, Gülseren Onanç, Gülsün Sağlamer , Gülten Kaya, Gündüz Vassaf, Gürhan Ertür, Hacer Ansal, Hakan Akçura , Hale Soygazi, Hale Tenger , Halil Ergün, Halil İbrahim Yenigün , Haluk Eyidoğan, Hasan Cemal, Hasip Kaplan , Hatice Aslan , Hülya Adak, Hülya Bankoğlu Ekşigil, Hüsamettin Onanç, İbrahim Betil, İlhan Tekeli, İnci Tuğsavul, İpek Çalışlar, İsmail Beşikçi, İştar Gözaydın , Jehan Barbur , Jülide Aral, Kevork, Taşkıran, Kirkor Sahakoğlu, Lale Mansur, Latife Tekin , Levent Gültekin, Macit Koper, Mahir Polat, Mazlum Çimen, Mebuse Tekay, Mehmet Altan, Mehmet Bekaroğlu , Mehmet Betil, Mehmet Erbudak, Mehveş Evin , Melek Taylan, Melih Fereli, Melis Alphan , Mert Fırat, Meryem Koray, Mesut Yeğen , Mihail Vasilliadis, Murat Belge, Murat Ersoy, Murat Sabuncu, Mustafa Hoş, Mustafa Paçal, Mustafa Yeneroğlu, Müjde Ar, Müjgan Arpat, Nadire Mater, Nakiye Boran, Nazar Büyüm, Nesim Ovadya İzrail, Nesrin Nas, Nesteren Davutoğlu, Neşe Erdilek, Nevin Sungur, Nevzat Onaran, Nil Mutluer, Nilgün Arısan Eralp, Nimet Tanrıkulu, Nuran Terzioğlu, Nurcan Baysal, Nurdan Ökter , Nurten Ertuğrul, Oral Çalışlar, Orhan Alkaya, Orhan Pamuk, Oya Baydar, Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, Ömer Madra, Rıza Türmen, Sedef Kabaş , Sema Kaygusuz, Semra Somersan, Serhat Baysan, Serkan Altınorak , Serra Yılmaz, Sevil Gence, Seydi Fırat, Sezai Sarıoğlu, Sezgin Tanrıkulu , Sırrı Sakık , Sibel Asna, Soli Özel, Süleyman Çelebi, Şah İsmail Bedirhanoğlu, Şanar Yurdatapan, Şebnem İşigüzel , Şengün Kılıç, Tarık Ziya Ekinci, Tatyos Bebek, Tayfun Mater, Tilbe Saran, Tuba Çandar, Tuğrul Eryılmaz, Tunca Öğreten, Turan Aydoğan, Turgay Gönensin , Turgut Öker, Türkan Elçi, Ufuk Uras, Uygar Özesmi, Ümit Aktaş, Ümit Kardaş, Ümit Ünal , Vahap Coşkun, Vecdi Sayar, Viktorya Çiprut, Volkan Aslan , Yasemin Bektaş, Yazgülü Aldoğan, Yıldıray Oğur, Zehra Arat, Zeynep Göğüş, Zeynep Oral, Zeynep Tanbay, Ziya Halis, Zülfü Livaneli.

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.

The foundation also noted that the recently increasing racist and discriminatory discourse would encourage and instigate such threats.

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. "We will not let provocation. Trust the Turkish Police," he said.

(AS/SD)