01/19/2019 Turkey (International Christian Concern) – Today marks the 13-year anniversary of the assassination of Hrant Dink, a Turkish-Armenian journalist and editor-in-chief of the Agos newspaper. The newspaper has published several headlines speaking to the lack of justice for Dink’s murder, as well as underscoring the belief that his murder may have been at least known ahead of time by the government.
As a journalist, Hrant Dink is remembered for his investigative and intellectual work during a time when Turkey was deepening its restrictions on free press. As an Armenian, Dink is also remembered for raising awareness about Turkey’s role in the 1915 Armenian genocide. This genocide nearly eliminated Christianity from Turkey, and today, Armenians are often regarded as “dirty” and belonging to something less than second class citizenship.
Seeking justice for Dink’s assassination is important for free speech, religious freedom, and ethnic equality. However, the investigation has been weighed down by a state who appears reluctant to prosecute. In the words of Agos, “”It was only nine years after the murder that public officers were put on trial. Though some relations have been uncovered and the curtain of mystery has parted even a little in the case that continued for almost four years, there are still no effective investigations and the ones who paved the way for his murder and targeted him are not put on trial. The state is still resisting.”
