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HRANT DINK'S PARK WAS OPENED IN MERSIN
By Hakob Chakrian
AZG DAILY
11-05-2011
Rakel Dink was also present on the ceremonial opening.
Mersin is the most important port in the Mediterranean Sea. Hundreds
of Kurds live there. The city Mayor Fazel Turk is a representative
of Peace and Democracy Party and is ethnic Kurd. The Municipality of
Mersin established Hrant Dink's park on the initiative of Turk. Hrant
Dink's monument was placed in the center of the park, and the opening
ceremony took place on the May 8, reports "Evrensel" news agency.
The Mersin City Mayor, representatives of the Catholic and Orthodox
churches in Mersin, Hrant Dink's wife Rakel and daughter Delal Dink,
"Agos" Chief Editor Rober Koptash, Ali Bayramoglu, Peace and Democracy
Party Provincial Chair Chihan Yelmaz, Democracy and Freedom Block's
Mersin Independent Candidate Ertugrul Kyurkchyu, many politicians,
public figures, artists and a large number of citizens were present
at the opening ceremony.
According to "Evrensel", all participants were hanging a picture of
Hrant Dink on their breasts. There was a giant banner "valiant sons
of Mesopotamia, the Kurdish people forget you" and with a Dink photo
on it hung on a building next to the park.
Making the opening speech of the ceremony Mersin Akdeniz Municipality
Mayor Turk said, "We are giving this park the name of Hrant who was
murdered with an unacceptable malicious attack. We will give a fight
for the values peace, democracy and equality that he died for.
Armenians, Turks, Kurds, all of us are equal. I once more condemn
the dark hands that shadow this brotherhood. Names like Hrant Dink
are the cornerstones on this way. "
Kyurkchyu continued, "We now owe an apology to the Armenian people
and to our brother Hrant Dink. And what a bitter fate is it that
this apology is paid by a Kurdish local official, not by a dominant
element of the state. In other words, the Kurdish people, on behalf
of Turkey's peoples, have begun to apology for the cruelty on the
Armenian people. Turkey needs to face with its truth and its history".
Then the opening ribbon of the park was cut by Rakel Dink, daughter
Delal Dink, Ali Bayramoglu under the "Long live the brotherhood of
peoples" slogan. The program ended with the opening of the Hrant Dink
monument by his wife Rakel Dink.
From: A. Papazian
By Hakob Chakrian
AZG DAILY
11-05-2011
Rakel Dink was also present on the ceremonial opening.
Mersin is the most important port in the Mediterranean Sea. Hundreds
of Kurds live there. The city Mayor Fazel Turk is a representative
of Peace and Democracy Party and is ethnic Kurd. The Municipality of
Mersin established Hrant Dink's park on the initiative of Turk. Hrant
Dink's monument was placed in the center of the park, and the opening
ceremony took place on the May 8, reports "Evrensel" news agency.
The Mersin City Mayor, representatives of the Catholic and Orthodox
churches in Mersin, Hrant Dink's wife Rakel and daughter Delal Dink,
"Agos" Chief Editor Rober Koptash, Ali Bayramoglu, Peace and Democracy
Party Provincial Chair Chihan Yelmaz, Democracy and Freedom Block's
Mersin Independent Candidate Ertugrul Kyurkchyu, many politicians,
public figures, artists and a large number of citizens were present
at the opening ceremony.
According to "Evrensel", all participants were hanging a picture of
Hrant Dink on their breasts. There was a giant banner "valiant sons
of Mesopotamia, the Kurdish people forget you" and with a Dink photo
on it hung on a building next to the park.
Making the opening speech of the ceremony Mersin Akdeniz Municipality
Mayor Turk said, "We are giving this park the name of Hrant who was
murdered with an unacceptable malicious attack. We will give a fight
for the values peace, democracy and equality that he died for.
Armenians, Turks, Kurds, all of us are equal. I once more condemn
the dark hands that shadow this brotherhood. Names like Hrant Dink
are the cornerstones on this way. "
Kyurkchyu continued, "We now owe an apology to the Armenian people
and to our brother Hrant Dink. And what a bitter fate is it that
this apology is paid by a Kurdish local official, not by a dominant
element of the state. In other words, the Kurdish people, on behalf
of Turkey's peoples, have begun to apology for the cruelty on the
Armenian people. Turkey needs to face with its truth and its history".
Then the opening ribbon of the park was cut by Rakel Dink, daughter
Delal Dink, Ali Bayramoglu under the "Long live the brotherhood of
peoples" slogan. The program ended with the opening of the Hrant Dink
monument by his wife Rakel Dink.
From: A. Papazian