Why The Purported Surprise?
Why the big surprise - given the circumstances, intolerable to be sure - that an outspoken public figure is murdered for his views. For after all, these are supremely contentious views, that Turkey is guilty of Armenian genocide. It happened oh so very long ago, why not forget and let live, after all? Perhaps because there is no closure without an admission of guilt and concomitant regret. It is no small thing to understand an admit that one's country was responsible for the deliberate killing of thousands of masses of innocent people.It is a large thing for that country to admit to its guilt, however provoked it felt itself to have been at the time. To express profound regret at that gruesomely inexplicable waste of lives. But of course the country has laws, and fierce nationalists cringe at the mention of genocidal guilt, seeing such accusations as insults to the honour of the Turkish population, and threats to the condition of national unity.
Other countries have not been dreadfully delicate in their condemnation of Turkey for its World War I campaign against its Armenian population. Much as Turkish ambassadors abroad huffed and puffed in indignation at the insult to the nation's dignity, countries like Canada saw fit to classify that ancient tragedy for what it was; a deliberate genocide. Article 301 of Turkey's penal code lists such expressions of internal criticism as a crime - to insult Turkey, its government and the national character is a crime punishable to the full extent of the law.
Journalist Hrant Dink, assassinated January 19th just outside his newspaper's offices by a proud and radical young Turk who took his nationalist pride seriously, was found guilty in October 2005 of attempting to influence the Turkish judiciary when his newspaper ran articles critical of Article 301. He was given a 6-month suspended sentence. He knew his life was in danger, and he wrote in his newspaper column that authorities hadn't responded to his letters listing threats against his life.
Two weeks later he was murdered, and thousands of protesters marched in the streets in protest. There appears to be a sizeable element among the Turkish population who believe their country was indeed guilty as charged; as they marched they chanted: "We are all Armenians, we are all Hrant Dink." Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned the killing, and promised to bring the matter to justice. He means of course, that the strong arm of the law will be brought against the young assassin.
But that young man is a product of his country and its history, and its current laws. Free speech is certainly not encouraged in Turkey. Over the last 15 years no fewer than eighteen journalists have been killed because of their work; the eighth deadliest country in the world for journalists. This background and the current situation will continue to haunt Turkey and will certainly not assist it in its attempts to be accepted into the European Union.
This man, Hrant Dink, could have left his country and agitated for change from without, in legitimate fear for his safety. He chose to stay in his beloved country, to ensure that free speech becomes a reality, that the government will see its way clear to abolishing its law of treason relating to criticism of the country. Turkey has experienced its own tragedies as a result of its intransigence in this matter. Armenian assassins, seeking revenge for the historical genocide killed Turkish diplomats abroad, including one such event in Ottawa.
Muslim Turkey and Christian Armenia find no love lost between them. A regrettable fact of history stands between them, along with a latter-day antagonism between the two religions which bodes ill for relations on an ongoing basis.
Labels: Heroes and Villains
posted by Pieface @ Sunday, January 21, 2007
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