For liberals, leftists and other democratically -minded in Turkey to define the Armenian issue as one of mere “Minority rights” goes a long way to expose their superficial grasp of their own history and their convenient definition of the issue as cultural and not political at its core.

Dink chose to live in Turkey and had Turkish as well as Armenian and Kurdish friends. He was a Turkish citizen and will be remembered as being part of the process that might one day bring a true climate of human and minority rights protection to the republic.

This is not the first time that protesters have gathered to remember the death of a journalist or the murder/disappearance of dozens of Turkish and Kurdish activists. Unfortunately, I fear that it will not be last, and I just wish that both Armenian and Turkish hardliners would remember that.

Dink is not the only journalist or activist to be murdered because he was a moderate voice in Turkey. There are significantly more Turks and Kurds as well, and Dink will be remembered alongside all of them as an important figure in what looks to be the very long process of democratization there.

Interestingly, I believe Dink is destined to be remembered in the history of both Armenia and Turkey, and that would be a fitting epitaph for a man who preached friendship between nations rather than hatred.

Sorry, but I for one , am a bit wary of of all this touchy-feely response from the Turkish “street”. Yeah, today you may chant “WE ARE ALL ARMENIANS”, but where will your alliances lie tomorrow, after the media spotlight has gone.

Sure, Mr. Dink was seen as a “moderate” voice in the Turkish-Armenian debate…BUT SO WERE THE ONE MILLION ARMENIANS SLAUGHTERED IN 1915.

Make no mistake that Hrant Dink was silenced because his unique voice threatened to crack the wall of silence that the Turkish state has erected around the reality of its treatment of the Armenian people. Unfortunately, that silence was conveniently condoned by the majority of Turkey’s citizenry as well.

http://www.topix.net/forum/world/armenia/TK66DSHSGK6P9DRFG

http://www.topix.net/forum/world/armenia/TKDRJ0HJKUR1B4D7T

The Turkish Daily News also carries an editorial on Dink’s murder.

I have lost a friend: Hrant Dink

Whatever the motive behind the attack was and whoever the killer is, Turkey and Armenia have both lost a very important son today, who was trying to contribute to building the bridges of peace and understanding between his homeland Turkey and Armenia, the country that he has an ethnic affiliation with.

[…]

The TDN also has two other opinion pieces here and here.

Meanwhile, the BBC reports that whatever their ethnic origin, thousands of Turkish citizens are rallying to protest Dink’s murder. Incredibly, they are also chanting slogans that must be a first in Turkish history.

Thousands of people have rallied in Istanbul to protest at the murder of a prominent Turkish-Armenian journalist, Hrant Dink, outside his office.

“We are all Armenians, we are all Hrant Dink,” the crowd chanted.

As I’ve said before, Dink’s murder was as much an attack on Turkish society as Armenians, and may his tragic death right historical wrongs and build bridges between moderate voices in both communities.