Most of you have probably heard or seen something by now about the assassination of Hrant Dink, a Turkish Armenian journalist, last Friday in Istanbul. I knew of him when I lived in Turkey, but I can’t say I followed his writing. All the same, his death has saddened me, as I know it’s saddened so many Turks, and I’ve found myself reading a lot of online editorials and reader comments throughout the past few days trying to make sense of this tragedy.
Kelly Vaughan, an American teacher currently working in Istanbul, has a nice post with some of the commentary that has been translated into English. Her post also led me to the English translation of Dink’s last article, which was published on the day he was murdered. It’s heartbreaking. On the infamous Article 301, which makes it a crime to insult Turkishness, Dink said:
What did Foreign Minister Gul say? Or Justice Minister Cicek? ‘There is no need to exaggerate about Article 301 (on insulting Turkishness). Has anyone actually been put in prison?’
As if going to prison was the only way to pay the price. This is the price. This is the price.
Do you ministers know the price of making someone as scared as a pigeon?
What my family and I have been through has not been easy. I have considered leaving this country at times…
It’s been encouraging to read journalists calling for an immediate end to Article 301 and to see that, among the many signs in the funeral procession that said “We are all Hrant” and “We are all Armenian,” there were also some that said “301 - Murderer.”
Some of the comments I’ve read online say that’s ridiculous and that blame lies solely on the 17-year-old who shot Dink, but I think the key is recognizing how the ethos of intolerance and rabid nationalism can culminate in this and similar incidents. From biased textbooks to popular media, to politicians who tacitly sanction lynch mob justice, there are many factors that have set the stage for this kind of tragedy.
I’ve been heartened by the protests and yet I wonder how well they reflect the general sentiment in Turkey. I’m trying to be optimistic.
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[...] Of course, what matters is that Turks now confront their own demons and resolve issues such as Article 301 in the Turkish Constitution which can be used to silence any critical voice by charging that it insults “Turkishness.” On that, I leave the final word with Jim Gibbon. It’s been encouraging to read journalists calling for an immediate end to Article 301 and to see that, among the many signs in the funeral procession that said “We are all Hrant” and “We are all Armenian,” there were also some that said “301 - Murderer.” [...]
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