January 20, 2007 - 17:45 AMT
Hrant Dink Strove For Reconciliation of Two Peoples
The symbolic meanings of the killing of Hrant Dink are clear. The murder as if extends the prevailing cultural climate in Turkey of denial of the Armenian Genocide, and the prevailing infamous law 301 which makes it a betrayal of the Turkish nation to speak of the Armenian Genocide, told Executive Director, Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide of Jerusalem Prof. Israel Charny the PanARMENIAN.Net corespondent. In his words, Hrant Dink was both a loyal member of his Armenian people and a loyal citizen of his Turkish nation. "He strove for reconciliation of the two peoples and he wanted his nation to be accepted as a member of the European Community. We hope that the tragedy of his murder will lead to prompt condemnation by Turkish society and to police and legal steps to convict his murderers. But we also hope that this ugly murder will have a stunning effect on decent Turkish society, which will lead it to abolish law 301, and to acknowledge the history of genocide of non-Moslem peoples, including the Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks, during the period of 1915-1922," Prof. Charny underscored.