Rare moment of unity in Turkey

The funeral of Hrant Dink, the Turkish-Armenian journalist murdered last week, marked a moment of unity for Turks and Armenians, The New York Times reported on Tuesday. Thousands turned out to mourn the death of Dink in Istanbul, some with red carnations and others carrying signs saying “We are all Hrant Dink” in both Turkish and Armenian. Calls for solidarity between the ethnic groups in Turkey could be heard, with references not only to the Armenian population but also to Kurdish and Jewish communities. Many mourners called for the abolition of section 301 of the Turkish penal code which makes it a crime to insult Turkey or Turkishness. Dink and countless other prominent Turks including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk, were prosecuted under this law in the past.

The funeral was attended by Armenian political leaders from Armenia and around the world. The Turkish government sent the Deputy Prime Minister and the Interior Minister in its delegation to the ceremony.

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