convoluted

today I walked. I walked the streets where thousands walked on tuesday. I was out of town that day. I no longer live in istanbul. I followed their footsteps in reverse direction. I stopped and paid my respects, even uttered a prayer at the doorstep of Agos. A newsancor approached me and asked what are my thoughts. thoughts? what can one think but murder!

I cannot cry out loud. there is something stuck in me. it does not work since last week.

its's so convoluted. I read the first issue of Agos after Mr. Dink's death. every thought very idea born by his death apperead there. one prominent turkish writer said Turks, who consider themselves a part of the 'state' but not really a part of the 'people' since the birth of the republic must recognize that 'the state' is responsible for the genocide and the murder of Mr. Dink, not 'the people'.

it's so convoluted. My conscious could not spare anyone off the guilt of the death of a man who was so pro-peace, so sentimental, so human. I am guilty. who did not act, who did not protest, who did not throw himself between the bullet and the man is guilty.

but mourning shall end at one point. there is his legacy. we must all do our share albeit too late. is it too late? it never is.

I call upon everybody around the world who is Armenian, American, Greek, Turk, everyone WHO IS HUMAN to support his ideals. we can start by subscribing to his legacy, to his ideal, Agos Weekly and make sure that his opinion will continue to be represented in Turkey.

Subscription is easy. in Turkey, send YTL 96 to Garanti Bank Harbiye Branch A/C No:6200720-8 and fax the receipt of transfer to fax no: +90 212 247 55 19 for a yearly subscription. In Europe, it's €55 and in the USA and Australia $180.

Support the voice of equality and fight against all kind of suppression.

ps. this author is not related to Agos newspaper or Turkish Armenian community.

he was under influence of the internet

the guy that allegedly murdered Hrant Dink said (as I predicted yesterday) he acted alone and was under influence of the web sites that propagated against Hrant Dink in his early deposition. he is a minor. he will be prosecuted as a minor. the feeble government already blaming 'outside forces'. spineless politicians already arguing this act was against Turkey, one conspiracy theory after another.

this is no conspiracy theory. a wonderful person, a fighter for freedom of speech, a fighter for liberty is slained. and this is a casual event in Turkish standards. but this also is a beginning of a different road that this country has to cope with. this is the end of a century long denial.

today is sunday. let our prayers be with Mr. Dink, his family, his friends and Armenians of Turkey at large. let us pray for his soul and let us hope his death shall be a beginning, him a martyr of a long road to freedom and fight against oppression.
Amen.

christmas time

ten days to go. in a country where tolerance means tolerance to agreement, freedom of speech means freedom to speak the same language, democracy means freedom to vote for what everyone else votes, the time for controversy arrives.

what is to be celebrated is the name of the argument. new year? noel (christmas)? islamic 'bayram' (religious feast) of offering? this year the 'rumi' calendar of islam and the common gregorian one played a game to remember. within ten days time this year christmas, new year's and 'bayram' coincides. new years day and the first day of bayram, the day when every family is supposed to slaughter a sheep or a cow (sometimes even a camel -see picture below) overlaps the new year's eve. people are supposed to finish shopping for new year's and bayram on saturday, go to sleep, wake up early on sunday, slaughter some animal, cook some of it, distribute the rest among needy, go to the beauty parlor, prepare for new year's festivities, visit close relatives all day long and have fun until the first lights of monday, 1st of January. quite a schedule,isn't it?

the controversy comes when fundamentalists argue that new year's celebrations are of christian origins and therefore are sinful. there is a long time tradition in secular metropolitan Turkey to erect christmas trees and put presents under them to be opened January the 1st. however this tradition, started during the modernization efforts of 40's and 50's, is under severe attack by the ruling forces (both politically and culturally) since the first time political ruling of fundamentalist party mid-90's. within all these arguments though, I have not been able to hear one single person propogating a though such as; "let them be. whoever wants to erect a tree, let them erect whatever they wish. if someone wishes to celebrate christmas (or hannukah for that matter, since the vast majority of 'official' turkish minorities are jews), let them celebrate, whoever wishes to spend the new year's eve in mosques, let them..."

but personallyi I am enjoying a sight totally different from the above arguments since last night. a prestigious shopping mall started displaying their 'new year's' ornaments. it's one of the best I have ever seen here and it is georgeous. the whole building is surrounded by a wall of lights very much like a Russian Orthodox christmas decorations (or should I say architecture).

see it for yourselves and enjoy.