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YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Hrant Dink tried to draw closer the Armenian and Turkish societies. He was the only man who could have done it in such an environment. That’s why he was murdered, Turkish scholar Baskin Oran said in an article to ARMENPRESS entitled “Who was Hrant, what was his mission?”, marking the 10th anniversary of Hrant Dink’s assassination.
“It was 1994 or 1995, I received a call – “I am Firat Dink [Hrant Dink’s then pseudonym”, a businessman from Istanbul. You have protected our language, the Armenian language, in your article, I am calling to thank you”, he said, and his voice began to tremble.
My eyes were filled with tears, I also couldn’t resist…..
Already from here, one of the two questions in the headline get an answer: Hrant was an emotional man, he was protecting the rights of Armenians.
During my first visit to Istanbul, we were having dinner at his house, when I discovered another important element of his identity. Like in all Anatolian homes, one would enter his home by wearing slippers. Hrant was an Anatolian Armenian”, Oran writes.
He mentions that Armenian of Istanbul, with a few exceptions, were fully integrated in the Ottoman Empire and were the main pillars of arts and crafts of the country. “They got out of the 1915 tragedy almost unharmed. However, Armenians in Anatolia were destroyed, and those who were able to survive moved to Istanbul with time. Hrant, from Malatya, was one of them and represented them, therefore he was very well aware what they’ve been through”, the scholar writes.
Oran says Hrant didn’t like the decisions of many states and international organizations on genocide.
“From Canada to Australia, I’ve always heard the following from the Diaspora: “Prior to knowing him I was thinking otherwise. However his following words changed me: “What’s important for you- the recognition of the genocide by Turkey or democratization?” Hrant was travelling the whole world and was talking with the Diaspora. It was a very difficult task, because the term “genocide” was banned for both Turks and Armenians, Turks were shutting their ears when hearing it, and Armenians when not hearing it.
Hrant didn’t like the Armenian resolutions, but as a representative of Armenians of Anatolia who underwent horrifying pains, he condemned the Turkish denial of 1915. He had said the following in this regard: “I will go to Concorde Square in Paris, I will stand up and scream - there was no Genocide. After that I will go to Ankara’s Kizilay Square, stand up and scream – there was Genocide”, Oran writes.
The Turkish scholar points out three important points of Dink’s historic mission. First, his impact and influence on Turks. “Turks eventually learned about 1915 with shock. Even if many got nervous. His first phone call to me was a part of it. The establishment of Agos was the main step, contact with the Turkish intellectuals was established, which served as a mean for integration in Turkey. The newspaper succeeded it through its Turkish language publication. However it shouldn’t be forgotten that initially the newspaper was publishing 3, then 4 pages of Armenian as well, and symbolized denial of assimilation”, Oran writes.
As the second mission, Oran emphasizes Hrant’s influence on Armenians of Turkey, mentioning he was able to take Armenians out of the moral ghetto and inspired trust. “Thanks to him a great Renaissance of Armenians began in Istanbul. To such extent, that eventually the Greek and Assyrian communities were also influenced by it and began to emerge. At the same time, people who remained hidden Armenians in parts of Anatolia began to voice their Armenian identities and even got baptized”, Oran says.
As the third important part of Dink’s mission the Turkish scholar points out Dink’s impact and influence towards the Diaspora. “He impacted the Diaspora, contributed to multilateral thinking. It was a difficult task. From October 7, 2003 until May 14, 2004 an 8-part article directed to the Diaspora was published. It proposed to not link the health of Armenian identity to the fact of recognition or non-recognition of the genocide by different countries. He wanted the Diaspora to already refuse to use the genocide as a “chosen trauma”, and build the identity on positive elements. The Diaspora changed a lot after Hrant. Just like the Turks.
All his efforts were aimed at bringing closer the two peoples. He was the only person who could have done it in such an atmosphere.
That’s why he was killed. From that point of view, the calculation of the killers was “rational”….
However, by being murdered, he became a saint, the public response spread his work to the entire world, Hrant’s memory became a lighthouse.
Decent and smart people, headed by Agos and Hrant Dink Foundation, continue his historic mission. It is impossible to be stopped”, Oran concludes the article.