Hrant Dink at Turkyilmaz Trial
Hrant Dink speaking at the trial of Yektan Turkyilmaz, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian
Recently, a comment was made on this site that the legal action against the Turkish scholar Yektan Turkyilmaz might have been in response to action against a journalist of Armenian descent, Hrant Dink, in Turkey. Well, two wrongs don’t make a right but more significantly, while Turkyilmaz is still kept under tight security in Armenia, Hrant Dink is free to travel.
In fact, he was at Turkyilmaz’s trial today along with another journalist of Armenian descent from Turkey. Both had come along to lend their support to Turkyilmaz and in particular, Dink had some harsh words to say about proceedings. Last week, Raffi Hovannisian also attended the trial and was not impressed. I’ll leave it to Emil and Rouzanna at RFE/RL to write more on that later in the day.
Meanwhile, I’ll try and sort out more pics of today’s trial in Yerevan to post. Incidentally, while it’s worth pointing out that the two main pro-government TV stations, Public TV and Armenia TV, appear to be ignoring the trial and weren’t present on Friday or today, the Chicago Tribune has an article on the controversy over Turkyilmaz’s detention.
In nearly two weeks of interrogation, the academic said through friends, he was never questioned about his books but instead about his research and a compact disc of archival information that was to be the basis for his writing. The disc has been confiscated.
“This should not be a political issue; this should be for the historians to look into and decide,” said an official at the Turkish Foreign Ministry who spoke on condition of anonymity. “From what we had heard, this young scholar seemed to support the Armenian side of the so-called genocide debate. It is such a strange turn of events, to arrest him.”
For the last two years, Turkyilmaz has conducted research in Turkish and Armenian libraries and the Turkish national archives. This year, he was the first Turkish citizen allowed access to the Armenian national archives, according to an Armenian government press release.
The Chicago Tribune article can be read online here.
Yektan Turkyilmaz Update
Oneworld has great commentary and photos from the Turkyilmaz trial today. Thanks Onnik!…
Trackback by Blogrel — August 15, 2005 @ 8:47 pm
Hi.
Check out IFEX for updates on freedom of expression (or lack of) in Turkey when it comes to Armenians:
http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/256/
Comment by ifex — February 7, 2006 @ 5:42 am
Hirant Dink was killed in Istanbul just before he was entering the AGOS newpaper building in Sisli area, today, 19th January 2007.
The killer suggested that 18-19 years old. Police held 2 young people around Taksim area.
Right now, In Istanbul, Taksim area people are gathering to PROTEST KILLING.
Left wing parties, militant and activists took street of Istanbul…
They are chatting as
LONG LIVE BROTHERSHIP OF THE PEOPLE.
STATE IS THE MURDERER.
I am sorry to inform this painful news.
Mustafa
I AM AN ERMENIAN!
Comment by Mustafa — January 19, 2007 @ 7:10 pm
Hrant Dink has been shot dead in Istanbul:
http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2007/01/19/hrant-dink-shot-dead/
Comment by Onnik — January 19, 2007 @ 7:55 pm