53,000 trees planted in Hrant Dink Memorial Forest in Armenia

A forest dedicated to the memory of the late Hrant Dink, editor-in-chief of Istanbul-based Agos weekly, is home to 53,000 trees. The forest is located near the Vanadzor-Dilijan highway.

The 11-hectare reforestation project was implemented by the Armenia Tree Project charitable foundation.

In response to an inquiry from Armenpress, Vahe Matsakyan, the foundation’s Forestry Program Manager, said that the reforestation work began in 2007.

The Hrant Dink Memorial Forest was established following the murder of Hrant Dink, editor-in-chief of the Agos newspaper, who was shot dead outside his Istanbul office in 2007.

According to Matsakyan, the land belongs to the community of Fioletovo. It was previously degraded pastureland with surface water flows.

“Thanks to the work carried out over the years, we now have an established forested area. The forest is planted mainly with pines, as well as broadleaf tree species, including wild pear and apple trees. The Armenia Tree Project foundation not only carried out the planting but also organized the forest’s maintenance. Maintenance work is currently being carried out to protect the area. This year, thinning is also planned as part of the maintenance work. Undergrown and damaged trees will be cut down, and the resulting timber will be provided to residents of Fioletovo. The purpose of the thinning is to increase the productivity of the forest,” Matsakyan said.

He said that in 2027, the forested area will officially be handed over to the Fioletovo community, while the foundation intends to continue working with the community in the future by providing professional advice on proper forest management.

“Measures are also planned to change the species composition and promote natural regeneration. This is the first forest we are handing over as a forested area,” Vahe Matsakyan said, adding that similar areas are planned to be handed over to the communities of Spitak, Koghes and Tashir in the coming years.

Dink’s murder in 2007 brought thousands of people in Türkiye into the streets, chanting the slogan “We are all Hrant Dink.” A total of 77 people were charged in connection with Hrant Dink’s murder. Two former senior police officials were sentenced to life imprisonment. Thirty-three people involved in the case were acquitted.