Wednesday February 10, 2010       Contact: Roupen Kouyoumdjian (B.Sc., M.Sc.)

 

 

Ottawa – Armenian communities in Turkey and the rest of the world held memorial services for the third anniversary of the death of Hrant Dink, a journalist and editor-in-chief of Agos, a bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspaper published in Istanbul, Turkey. Dink was a Turkish citizen of Armenian descent, an advocate of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Turkey. He was prosecuted under article 301 of the Turkish penal code, and his life was constantly under threat by Turkish ultra-nationalists who openly condemn any discussion of the Armenian Genocide and carry on the mission of the Turkish Deep State. The Deep State is the term given to the alleged group of influential anti-democratic coalitions within the Turkish political system, composed of high-level elements within the intelligence services (domestic and foreign), Turkish military, security, judiciary, and mafia. The Deep State is behind numerous coup d'états that took place throughout the history of the Turkish Republic to maintain the “so-called” secular Turkish identity and the racial purity of the country through social engineering.

The Article 301, a controversial article of the Turkish penal code making it illegal to insult Turkey, the Turkish ethnicity, or Turkish government institutions came into effect in 2005. This was by far one of the most extreme measures supported by the Turkish Deep State to oppose freedom of speech especially in the issue of the Armenian Genocide. Hrant Dink, was among the ones convicted under the article, and the Deep State remained silent about this incident that caused widespread reactions throughout Turkey and the international community. Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan condemned the murder of Dink and accused the Deep State of promoting the operation. It is therefore highly possible that the Deep State had a hand in the assasination of the journalists who called for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide not for the benefit of Armenians only but also for Turkey and its entry into the European Union. In August 2009 during the trial of the Ergenekon members, an organization under which members of the Deep State among other things are accused of assassinating intellectuals and religious leaders, it was revealed that one of Deep State's bodies, the secret gendarmerie intelligence unit, know as JITEM was behind Dinks assasination. In the January 28 issue of Montreal Gazette, there is an article titled Navy officers, soldiers to stand trial in Turkey, that was about the Ergenekon trial. The article among other things states that “...The prosecutor argued documents seized from the suspects revealed planned attacks against Istanbul's non-Muslim communities, notably the Armenians.”

The President of the Armenian National Committee of Canada, Dr. Girair Basmadjian considers Dink's murder as another incident of the racial politics that still exists in Turkey. He said “During the past months, the Prime Minister of Turkey accused China and Israel of committing crimes against humanity against their Uyghur and Palestinian communities respectively. It would be better, however if Mr. Erdogan remained silent and dealt with his own domestic policy of Turkification that has been going on for more than 85 years, ever since the Modern Republic of Turkey came into existence. Under this policy Turkey's Greek, Armenian, Jewish, Assyrian, and other minorities have been persecuted, having as an ultimate goal the creation of Turkey for Turks.”

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The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Canadian-Armenian grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances the concerns of the Canadian-Armenian community on a broad range of issues.

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Le CNAC est l'organisation politique canadienne-arménienne la plus large et influentielle. Collaborant avec une série de bureaux, chapitres et souteneurs à travers le Canada et des organisations affiliées à travers le monde, le CNAC s'occupe activement des inquiétudes de la communauté canadienne-arménienne.