ISTANBUL, Turkey (A.W.)—On Jan. 19, on the third anniversary of the assassination of Hrant Dink, the Turkish-Armenian editor of the weekly Agos newspaper, protesters in Istanbul changed the name of Ergenekon Avenue to Hrant Dink Avenue. The street is located in the Kurtulus neighborhood near the editorial offices of Agos, and near where Dink was gunned down. A group called Art for Peace organized the changing of the name.
“Changing the name of Ergenekon Avenue has a symbolic meaning for us,” Ragip Incesagir, a spokesperson for the Art for Peace initiative, told the Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review. “Ergenekon has always been a symbolic name that says, ‘Everyone here is a Turk and others can only live on streets named by Turks,’” he added.
Art for Peace first requested a meeting with Sisli mayor Mustafa Sarigul to officially change the name of the street. The meeting, however, could not be scheduled before Jan. 19. The members of the group thus changed the name without official permission. But the change did not last for long.
The campaigners have launched www.hrantdinkcaddesi.org and, as of March 5, had gathered 2,107 online signatures, including the names of prominent Turkish intellectuals such as Zulfu Livaneli (a Turkish folk musician, novelist, film director, newspaper columnist, and former member of the Turkish Parliament), Arif Sag (a Turkish folk musician and former MP), and Tuncel Kurtiz (an actor, playwright, and film director).
Istanbul has twice rejected the request for a name change.
The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality received the first request from the Sisli Municipality to change the name of Safak Street, the site of Dink’s murder, to Hrant Dink Street. Istanbul rejected the request, claiming the name change would cause confusion in emergency situations and would inconvenience businesses and institutions located on the street.
Aris Nalci, the current editor of Agos, told Hurriyet that since 2007, a new law allows local municipalities to change the name of a street without the prior approval of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. “The name of a street in the Bakirkoy District was changed to Dadyan under the new regulation. When Istanbul rejects a local municipality’s request to change a name three times, the decision to change the name falls to the local municipality under the new law,” Nalci said.
The second request to change the name was made by Municipal Council member Ozgen Nama, a member of the Republican People’s Party (CHP). His request to change Ergenekon Avenue to Hrant Dink Avenue was rejected on Feb. 9, reported Hurriyet.
In Turkish mythology, Ergenekon is located in the valleys of the Altay Mountains where an ancient Turkish tribe was ambushed and killed. According to legend, a child survived and found a guardian wolf. The child’s descendants thrived in this valley surrounded by iron mountains, and began to look for a way out. With the help of an ironsmith, they drilled a hole in the mountain and were led out by a wolf. The myth symbolizes the Turks’ migration from Asia to Anatolia.
In Turkey, the name has been adopted by a Kemalist ultranationalist group, which is currently under investigation for engaging in terrorist activities that include the assassination of journalists, academics, public-opinion leaders, and writers, as well as planning a coup. In the last three years, over 200 alleged members, including generals, officers, lawyers, and journalists, have been charged in connection with the group. Ergenekon is also under investigation for Dink’s murder.
On Feb. 8, during the 12th session of Dink’s murder trial, the attorneys for Dink requested that the Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court investigate whether Dink’s assassination was part of the Operation Cage Action Plan—a military plot to create chaos—which was exposed by the Turkish Taraf Daily. The plan’s objective was to create mayhem by killing non-Muslims and attacking mosques, and eventually toppling the government. A recent 200-page police report links the Cage Plan to Ergenekon. According to Today’s Zaman, the report states that the murders of Dink, Catholic priest Andrea Santoro, and three Christians in Malatya were planned by Ergenekon to create chaos and the necessary conditions for a coup d’état.
It’s interesting that a name of an Armenian who was killed by a 17 year old boy can get a street named after him. In addition, thousands mourned his death in Istanbul. Now, compare that to the number of street signs in Yerevan which were changed in honor of the murdered Turkish diplomats and their families, as well as all of those innocent civillians, who were assinated by cowardly members of Armenian terrorist groups! How many people came out to mourn for these people in Yerevan from the 1970’s – the 1990’s? In all fairness, until there are street sign changes and official mournings in Armenia for these victims of Armenian terrorism, then there should never even be a consideration for a street name change for Dink!! YOU CAN’T HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO!!!
Turkey should change Anatolia to Armenia…Armenians have nothing to do with Turkish streets………
Grish,
Turkey has only two demands from Armenia. 1). Armenia MUST publically apologize in front of the UN, for the massive century old con job which they have, to this very day, perpetrated upon the Christian nations of the world, and openly admit to the genocides which they have willingly committed upon Moslems and non-Moslems alike, from the 1800’s all the way up to the 1992 massacre at Kohajaly. 2). All Armenian troops are to be withdrawn from NK so that the rightful Azeri owners can return to their homes. That’s it. We don’t want one penny from Armenia, nor do we want any of your land. We just want you all to tell the truth and open your archives for public examination.
It is your demand and your opinion sorry body this is not world opinion……..
world opinion is very simple “TURKS COMMITTED GENOCIDE AGAINST THEIR CHRISTIAN SUBJECTS” the rest are all politics and words… and you know that..please don’t afraid to use your real Turkish name and make sure all streets in Turkey have a beautiful Turkish names because we Armenians don’t care about Turkish streets we care about ANATOLIA our ancestral occupied land by invaders from Central Asia… we used to live in peace with our civilized Christian neighbor BYZANTINE ..and one more thing please don’t reply …sound like your prime minister talking from Saudi Arabia…
Why do you all even bother with these Turkish proxies or stooges? They can boil in their own stew till jahenem freezes over for them. If they need an education, like they got in 1993, then I’m sure they will ask for it or they can go to any US library, the Library of Congress, the US archives and etc….
Who on this website thinks that their grandparents and their great-grandparents were liers? These scum may try to lie and dig a whole to the Americans but certainly not here.
On another note, every time someone mentions how gay Attaturk was, you will quickly see them say that you are insulting them and they will have you banned on the ADL controlled news blogs. If you point a historical fact about their ancestory as being decendants of Ghengis Khan, you will see them call you racisit.
So get used to it and ignore them. If they want to debate history, tell them to go to the library and get educated first. You can’t debate historical facts with uneducated people. 98% of historians (experts) call the deaths of Armenians as genocide. You have to be delusional not to believe that. There is a reason why they call Turks the sick men of Europe. Although they should be called the sick men of Asia.
On a different note, Turks should keep that terrorist name Ergenekon on the street. It shows the world how Turks view themselves. Make no mistake about it, Ergenekon is a terrorist cell that was one of the reasons why 7 CIA officers got killed in Afghanistan. Moreover, these web site blogs are monitored by the FBI and the spooks to see who is an Armenian nationalist and then share that information with the very same group that took part in the killing of the CIA officers, Ergenekon.
This group has hired the Taliban to fight Armenians in 1993. It also has links with Al Qaueda. I don’t think Tom Clancy could even have made this stuff up.
To: Kiazer Souze
Thank you for giving me all these wonderful information, especially about Ergenkon..it seems to me they are another ultra terrorist group coming to life beside Al- Quada..I wonder how much damage has been done to US national security!!yes I remember during NKR war, they were many dead Taliban fighters among Azeri soldiers..
a
If you look at these comment, you can immediately sense that it is filled with crappy people full of hatred, blind enough to destroy Armenia’s future. Open you eyes people, Armenia’s future is through Turkey!
We have nothing against you, I personally felt very sorry for Hrant Dink. We still circulate his speeches through facebook.
Comment..Wake up man ,,it is 2010 not the years before 1170AD.
And let me know,is there a turkish newspaper in Armenia and how many Turks live today in Armenia or in your capital Yerevan ??
How about comparing ??
Wake up !Stop liking Blood ..We are all Humans,NEVER FORGET…BUT FORGIVE..You`ll enjoy this only life,no other chance.Take care
Kiazer,
It’s really hilarious that you can even dare to mention the term “terrorist”!! You dashnak Armenians have cornered that market quite well! No need to educate you or any of your other ill informed brethren about that particular point.
As for NK, Armenia has little to no respect for what the world says about them, but they’ll embrace what some corrupt politicians ram through their respective parliaments as Armenians crow about how this country or that country supports the recognition of the alleged “genocide”, never mentioning to the world that that particular country’s population doesn’t have a clue, or could care less, about what their parliament may have passed! That being said, Armenia has flagrantly and continuously violated UN Security Council Resolution #’s 822, 853, 874, 884 passed in 1993 regarding NK!! Sorry, but you simply can’t have your cake and eat it too!
Speaking of another country that recognizes the Armenian Genocide, add Sweeden to the list thanks to a Kurdish parlimentarian. Turks can boil in their own stew until jahenem freezes over. May they who deny the genocide rot in jahenem till eternity. Turkey’s future is through recognition, reperations, repentents and return to Armenia what it stole.
Let us not forget 911 and who the real terrorists are in this world. Al Queda, Ergenekon and the Taliban. And, they are all related as one big happy family.
I also accept that Ergenekon is one of the most terrifying terrist organization that had ever grown in the entire terrorism history. There is not doubt on that!.
But it is really funny when you relate Ergenekon with killing of 7 CIA staff; and also 9/11.
And for Sweden.. that is sorry to hear, but who cares about Sweeed
It is very simple calculation.. Ergenekon is a terrorist organization, then they must have some connection with Al-Quada, especially if there is a common ground in their respective Sunny Muslim religion, for sure Ergenekon are connected to Turkish military (GENERALS).. they can pass sensitive NATO security information toward 3-rd party, the best choices are US natural enemies such as Al-Quada and other unknown terrorist organization, in Muslim Caucasus and Central Asian nations …..this is a big blow to US and Israeli national security.. bottom of the line we should never get away from main topic, most Turks like Ergenokan, they make movie out of that and dancing like wolves around the fire.. Please see this below URL..
PART III: THE GREY WOLVES
well THERE IS A DIFFERENCE between killing someone who WIPED OUT YOUR WHOLE FAMILY AND RACE and taking revenge and there is a difference between a simple guy who was just trying to have the TURKISH PEOPLE understand his peoples pain caused by turks.
so please don’t compare two different causes.
ONE OF THE HIJACKERS WIFE AT 9/11 WAS A TURKISH WOMEN, who hated AMERICA. please check online and you will see.
TERRORISM IS WHEN the TALIBAN THROW ACID ON WOMEN AND children for going to school in the name of allah,(please see pictures onine as proof),
and TERRORISM is when MUSLIMS SUICIDE BOMB innocent people in the name of allah.
AND NOW TURKS ARE KILLING KURDS, i mean who do they get along with??,
and they would not allow THE USA TO go and attack IRAQ from TURKEY when the war began, i’m glad that USA saw their true fake faces.
This is ridiculous. these people are waste of time.
if you are talking about ancesteral lands, Australians must go back to England, Americans should go back their back homes like you all Armenians go back to Armenia, Greeks, Italians, Japanese and many more…
There is No armenia called in todays armenia which is all Azeri land. So, what is ancesteral land..
You should talk about Armenians waering French , russian and British Army uniforms at WWI to kill innocent villagers in Turkey and then Turkey rightfully relocated many Armeinians to other Turkish Lands,at that time, Syria , Lebanon, Iraq.. Turks has all the right to do that. remember America did it to its Japnese citizens at WWII , America relocated all Japnese Land owners to New Jersey because of security. Those lands never returned to its original owners.
The war was lost by by Armenians and Turks were stabbed backed by Armenians always..
Be real and you can not have both ways… Kill and be right.. Tell me when Turks have done such killings in the History Never. But you can always see french , brits , russians and most recently dutch, serbs in Bosnia and Karabagh you invaded.
Look at yourslves first what you have done dear Armenians…
Grish
who are the Dasnak , ARF and many more Hayastan secret organizations.. They are not Terrorist Organizations because they are Armenian and they are revenge takers . So you can not call DASHNAKS as Terrorists.. !!!!!!!!!
How many diplomats were killed by those Dashnaks do you know?
Sorry you armenians are being very prejudice against almost everyone hately to agianst Turks of Turkey and Azerbaijan… Please read little bit what Hayastan soldiers did in Karabagh in 1988 from the eyes of others not just your own. Then you will start to see the other side of the coin.. Hatred will NOT take you anywhere….
Kurt,
This has nothing to do with Dashnaks….our land occupied by invaders called Mongol, Seljuk, and Ottoman Turks ..and they committed GENOCIDE against their Christian subjects…why you Turks don’t understand…a place called Azerbaijan never existed…Azerbaijan real name is Aterpatekan it means land of fire worshipers..
real owners of Aterpatekan is Iran…the land so called Azerbaijan should be divided between Iran and Armenia… please go educate yourself and see the how world maps have been changed since mongol invaders..Mongol Turks were not civilized colonist either, Turks can not be compared with European race…they burn and destroy Christian Civilizations…today’s Turk do not looks like mongol anymore, they Islamised Armenians and Greeks and, mixed up with their huge Kurdish population..
Recently, the USA apologized to the Japanese-Americans who were interned and made reparations to them (I don’t recall the amount). School children in California are taught the Japanese-Americans were interned because of prejudice. Sup. Ct. Justice Rehnquist wrote a book which explains why the internment was wrong. I have suggested many times these are steps Turkey could follow in regards to the Armenians.
Only the Japanese-Americans in California and perhaps the west coast, who were closer to Japan geographically, were interned. Japanese-Americans in Illinois were not interned.
Linda,
Typical dashnak Armenian…gotta lie like hell and deceive everyone into believeing a falsehood! The wife of the terrorist you mentioned was indeed a Turkish dentist living in the UK. her husband was the one that crashed the highjacked plane into the griund at Shanksville, PA. Nowhere and at no time did she EVER say that she hated the US!!! Capice! Your lies may work on ignorant politicians who are too stupid to know any better, but to the educated, we always see right through people like you!
Grish,
You keep forgetting that Armenians were constantly subjects of other Empires! These include the Roman, Persian, Byzantine, Ottoman and the Soviets! Why do you make it sound that only the Turks were the ones whom you were subects of? Are you people STILL trying to distort the truth and history? Now can you people understand why we want a neutral historical commission to examine ALL archival material and render their final decission? It’s just that you people simply can NOT be trusted!! Sorry to have to say that, but you keep proving this very well known fact repeatedly over and over again!
ONLY OTTOMAN TURKS COMMITTED GENOCIDE AGAINST DEFENSELESS ARMENIAN NATION….only coward people like Turks would do that…yes history of Armenia started way before Mongol Turks.. we have been constant under attacks by uncivilized nations such as Arabs and then newly Islamized Mongol Turks, who just changed their religion for their appetite over new harems located in the heart of Christian lands, took their bloody sword with the might of Allah beheading men and raping woman and stealing babies from their mother arms and raise them as new Turk…we don’t need historical commission..and I do not believe that Armenians will be convinced that GENOCIDE should go under magnify glasses ..it is an awful feeling and humiliation…something that most Turks especially ERGENOKONS do not have..Allah is too powerful and always protect Muslims against none believers..cio my friend..make sure you behave like a “rightful Turk”..and talk to your fellow Turks that Genocide is not a LIE …sooner or later Turks will admit their guilt and you will be the first to say I am sorry………
I didn’t see any Armenians slam airplanes into the twin towers in the name of Allah.
Who would have thought that the decendants of that great humanitarian, Ghengis Khan, who later converted to that peaceful religion called Islam and sided with that peaceful colonial country called Germany, would have turned out to be genocidal maniacs who then decide to join in terrorist activities to wipe Christains off the face of the earth.
Do they still decapitate heads in this world in the name of Islam? Why decapitations? Is meant to cause terror?
Kiazer,
You’re joking, right?!! Which Christian people tried to eliminate an entire race, and non-perfect people, between 1938-1945? Which rebelious/traitorious Christian group was responsible for the deaths of 2.5 million Moslems and non-Moslems, before, during and after WWI in Anatolia? Can you say the “CRUSADES”? How about the witch hunts in Europe? Who killed off most of the native American Indians? Who were behind the Spanish Inquistions? What about the Aparteid in South Africa? The French treatment of Algerians? The Congonese? How about the British treatment of their colonial holdings? Hmmm, the list is quite extensive. Gee wizz Kiazer, I just can’t seem to find a whole lot of Moslem/Islamic peoples in any of the examples provided! I do see quite a bit of Christians though! Why do you suppose that is?
Kiazer, Before commenting on Gengiz Khan please do some research and educate yourself before commenting. Gengiz Khan never converted to Islam, he was a Buddhist / Shaman all his life, it was the 3rd generation (nearly a 100 years) who after destroying Baghdad the seat of learning converted to Islam and only in the subsequent centuries founded the Ottoman Empire in the 17th century.
Terrorism is ingrained in Turkey. They used terrorism to control and subjucate the territories that they occupy and prevent uprisings, democracy and independance for centuries. And now, they want to say they, the Turkish state was only deporting to prevent a so-called fifth front.
From Istanbul? Who are they fooling?
Why the state sponsored torture, beheadings and hanging of the intellectuals? Why take the Armenian soldiers in the Turkish army, who were in western front, disarm them, put them in labor camps, starve them, and then not even have the decency to shoot them first before burying them alive?
If these barbarians want a history lesson, they should go view Google’s 5,000 pages of news prints at that time. Was the Ottomen empire at war in 1889 to blame the deaths of Armenians on such a war? They can also visit the US congressional archives and the library of congress.
They can either get their history lesson from such sources, or they can get it in other ways at the wrong end of a bullet as they got in Artsagh.
Part of the legend of Ergenekon is they claim they are decendants of wolves. You know, those creatures that sniff each other’s behinds and lick unthinkable things. If they are proud of this, let them display it to the whole world.
To Admin: In the 9th paragraph “Turkish mythology…” there is a factual distortion that has caught my eye. The last sentence reads as follows: “The myth symbolizes the Turks’ migration from Asia to Anatolia“. First of all, there was no such a geographical name. Anatolia is a modern Turkish creation. Seljuk Turks appeared in the Armenian Plateau only in the 14th century, spreading fire and swords over ancient civilizations inhabiting the area, mainly Christian Armenians who have been living on those lands for millennia before the nomadic Turkish tribes appeared. Anatolia must be changed to Western Armenia and Eastern Byzantium. Using this artificial toponym is exactly what the Turks are doing all over the historical, geographical, and demographical literature. They are good at making things Turkish when in reality all historical artifacts in their country are of non-Turkish origin.
Robert, Hrant Dink advocated minority rights, democratization, and Turkish-Armenian dialogue in Turkey. Do you disagree that those are commendable goals? Dink was doing something GOOD for TURKEY and as a result he should be commemorated.
By contrast, were the Turkish diplomats helping democracy, free speech, self-determination, and minority rights when they were denying the killings of the Armenians and the existence of the Kurds, and pressuring foreign governments to do the same?? Were they doing something good for Armenia?? No, so why should they be commemorated in Armenia? Your logic is flawed.