Hrant Dink: "My soul is a little scared, but free"

Today marks six years since the Turkish-Armenian journalist and the editor-in-chief of the Istanbul based bilingual weekly Agos Hrant Dink's death.

Dink was killed outside his edition office in the city’s Shishli district on January 19, 2007.

Before his murder he reported in the publications that the threats against him became more frequent. In addition, he complained that the police's failured to protect him from possible attack.

Hrant Dink was born in Malatya on September 15, 1954. His father's gambling debts led to the family's move to İstanbul in 1960, where they sought a new beginning. Sarkis Dink's gambling continued in İstanbul, however, and one year after their move, Dink's parents separated, leaving the seven-year old Dink and his brothers without a place to live. Dink's grandfather enrolled the boys at the Gedikpaşa Armenian Orphanage; Dink often noted his grandfather, who spoke seven languages and read constantly, as the role model and father figure who inspired his love of letters.

Dink was always persecuted by the Turkish authorities for denying Article 301 of the country's Criminal Code.

Dink, being an active member of the Armenian Diaspora, was inclined to identify with the people of Turkey. In spite of the threats against him, the journalist refused to leave the country. According to him, it would be a betrayal to leave people, desperately fighting for democracy.

Hrant Dink was killed on January 19, 2007 outside his office by the Turkish nationalist Ogyun Samast. After Dink's murder thousands in Turkey held a protest under the slogan "We are all Hrant Dink".

During the investigation of the murder it became clear that the police and the gendarmerie were aware of the impending attack, but failed to take measures to prevent it. In this case, when Dink's relatives filed a lawsuit with the ECHR against Turkey, the Government sent the court protective speech in which Dink was compared with the Nazis. This speech was withdrawn, and the Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu said that he did not agree with this speech.

Hrant Dink's assassination drew many international organizations' attention.

Amnesty International called on the Turkish authorities to investigate the availability of possible collusion and negligence of state officials in the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist and human rights activist Hrant Dink.

"Ankara every time voiced warnings about the threat of political consequences, which ultimately did not happen. All this has become a habit, as a result of which people like Hrant Dink are used", says the publication «Der Spiegel» and presenting Dink's fight, notes that in that struggle he had to pay with his own life.

Murder of 53-year old editor of the Armenian newspaper "Agos" Hrant Dink in Istanbul can be a serious obstacle for Turkey's accession to EU, reports "Telegraph".

Aghasi Arakelyan