A tragedy and travesty in Turkey

"Hrant was an inspiring, wonderful man. He believed in redemption through memory, through reconciliation. He set up amazing channels of dialogue between Armenians and Turks - and those networks are going to carry on."

Author and Turkish literary translator Maureen Freely

The slaying of the writer Hrant Dink in Istanbul a few days ago can only be seen as tragedy on a whole range of levels. Most importantly, he was prepared to raise an issue which the authorities simply do not allow - namely, the genocide of some 1.5 million Armenians by the Turks in 1915.

The outpouring of grief and the uniting of groups to mourn the death of such a brave person as Dink is recorded in this piece from the NY Times:

"More than 50,000 mourners, including senior Turkish and Armenian officials in a rare display of unity, poured into the heart of Istanbul on Tuesday to bid farewell to Hrant Dink, the Turkish-Armenian journalist who was killed in front of his office last week, a death that many Turks hoped would be a catalyst for change.

The Armenian patriarch, Mesrob II, spoke out during Dink's funeral service against curbs on freedom of expression and urged an expansion of the potentially thawing relations between Armenia and Turkey that have become evident since the slaying.

"It is unacceptable to judge and imprison someone because of his thoughts, let alone to kill him," Mesrob said during the hourlong service at the Holy Mother of God Armenian Patriarchal Church. "It is mystical that his funeral turned into an occasion where Armenian and Turkish officials gathered together."

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