Commemoration ceremonies for slain journalist Hrant Dink

ISTANBUL – Slain Turkish- Armenian journalist Hrant Dink will be commemorated on the second anniversary of his murder. A group who called themselves “Hrant’s Friends” have long been calling for people to gather in front of the weekly multilingual newspaper Agos in central ÅžiÅŸli, where Dink was killed.

“We will gather together as citizens who believe in the fraternity of people regardless of any differences in religion, language, race, gender and political views,” the newspaper advertisement of the group stated. The group will meet at 2.30 p.m. under the slogan, “For Hrant, for justice.” Dink was the editor-in-chief of Agos.

Singer Åževval Sam will perform a Peace Concert on Jan. 22 at Taksim Ghetto in commemoration of Dink. Sam will perform songs in several languages including Armenian, Turkish, Kurdish, and Syriac.

Meanwhile, a group of around 100 people in the central Anatolian province of EskiÅŸehir gathered Saturday to commemorate Dink and set white pigeons free. The group gathered in Porsuk Avenue. “Every death is early, but yours is much earlier for us,” said Zeynep Ekici, the spokesperson of the EskiÅŸehir Peace Assembly on behalf of the group. The nongovernmental organization EskiÅŸehir has been in the media in recent weeks for a banner placed at its gate that read, “Armenians and Jews cannot enter, but dogs can.” Dink, before his death, wrote in a column that he felt as worried as a pigeon, but despite his worries, he knew that people of Turkey did not touch pigeons. Dink was shot to death days after the column was published, on Jan. 19, 2007.

http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/domestic/10803113.asp?gid=244