Commemoration for Dink: 'Your determination is with us, your hope is with us'

Photos: Wouter Massink

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

The Editor-in-chief of Agos newspaper Hrant Dink was commemorated today in front of Sebat Apartment in Osmanbey, İstanbul where he was murdered 16 years ago.

The program started with Bülent Aydın from Hrant's Friends speaking.

Aydın said, "Your determination is with us, your hope is with us"

"Those who were born that day, are with us today [in 2007 when Hrant Dink was killed]. We saw that all those who are different can be together in your inner conscience We are with you ahparig*, and your determination is with us, your hope is with us...

"They want to close this case once again. Let us shout from here again "this case will not close until we say closed." This square has become the square for justice for Hrant's friends since 16 years ago.

People who gathered in the commemoration chanted "No emancipation alone, either all of us, or none of us," "We are all Hrant, we are all Armenians," and "Those who protect the murderers are partners to the killing."

Following Aydın, the message from Shaharzad Akbar was read out.

Akbar who is fighting to end the gender discrimination prevailing in Afghanistan has received the 14th International Hrant Dink award this year.

"Let us crown Hrant Dink's heritage with solidarity"

Shaharzad Akbar's message was read out by Feride Eralp.

It said, "Hrant Dink's life and work is inspiring activists everywhere in the world. I would like take this opportunity to draw your attention to the struggle women wage in Iran and in Afghanistan. The women of Afghanistan feel they are being buried alive, but still they are fighting the Taliban. There are secret activities of women's struggles but they are not giving up. Let us crown Hrant Dink's heritage with solidarity."

"Hrant's friends under arrest"

Bircan Yorulmaz from Hrant's Friends, who was arrested in the Kobani case for two years and was released in November spoke next:

Yorulmaz said in her message, "I could not be there with you for the last two years. But I know that my voice and the voices of all friends who cannot be in that square were also heard there. We will be in that square, with all friends of Hrant, with Selahattin, Osman, Gültan, Sebahat and we will chant "We are here ahparig."

The message of film producer Çiğdem Mater arrested in the Gezi Park case was also read out.

The crowd chanted "We are proud of Gezi prisoners."

Bülent Aydın took his turn again after Mater's message and he commemorated Tahir Elçi. He said "Tahir Elçi was as peace dove such as Hrant was."

At 03:00 p.m. the hour when he was shot, Hrant Dink's voice was heard in the square.

"We Armenians have our eyes on this land. Because our roots are here. However do not worry, not in order to take away these lands, in order to come and go deep in these lands."

"Our friend is lying down here on the sidewalk since 16 years ago"

Director Emin Alper made the 16th-year speech. Alper said, "We again have a heavy heart. We see that the dark creating these murderers does not go away, it even gets darker. Our friend is lying down here on the sidewalk since 16 years ago."

"We are here to remember our word given to Hrant. We are here to take the pen from the hands of those murderers who write history."

The commemoration ceremony ended with the Sarı Gelin song (Armenian: Սարի աղջիկ) being played.

* Ahparig: My brother in Armenian