I have started to get really annoyed with certain individuals discriminating and belittling others because they are a ‘minority,’ while at the same time knowing everyone in Turkey is part of a minority
Cüneyt Ülsever
According to newspapers: “Hrant Dink was sentenced to a suspended sentence of six months’ imprisonment for ‘insulting the Turkish identity’ in an article that appeared in the Agos daily. The court found his co-defendant Karin Karakaþlý not guilty.”
How did Dink respond to the court’s decision?
“You insult a people and then continue to live amongst them? This is a dishonorable act and I would never do that. If I can’t explain myself to society at large, I’ll just pack up and leave the country,” he was quoted as saying by Monday’s Milliyet.
While some try to push this country forward, others try to pull it back.
An expert who analyzed Dink’s article deemed that there were no insults, but the expert judge didn’t agree.
The judge said, “You insulted Turkishness!”
Actually, Dink was found guilty of making fun of AND insulting Turkishness.
If you separate the parts and interpret each individual section you can reach any conclusion you want. For example, if you read the headline of this article you may reach the conclusion that I want Dink to stay in the country and pay for his crimes.
However, if you assess Hrant Dink in his entirety the first thing you will see is that he himself is part of the Turkishness that he “insulted and made fun of.”
He is an Armenian Turk and I am a Muslim Turk. There are Jewish Turks, Greek Turks, Kurd Turks, Laz Turks and Gypsy Turks among those who will read this article.
I hope no one takes offense, but I can’t accept the concept of “citizen of Turkey” because I find it so foolish.
However, I also admit that we are all part of a supra-national identity, while having many sub-identities. I, as a Muslim Turk, am a part of the majority but I, as a Turk who comes from Turkey in Europe, am also part of a minority.
I have started to get really annoyed with certain individuals discriminating and belittling others because they are a “minority,” while at the same time knowing everyone in Turkey is part of a minority. We tend to forget the fact that, in one way or another, we are all part of a minority.
What upset me the most was Dink’s response, “I will just leave.” It’s like this country is not his but someone else’s.
I bet if a Sunni Muslim Turk was punished for the same crime he would not have expressed his anger with those words.
No, Dink, you shouldn’t go anywhere as you belong right here! Even if you received a foolish punishment, you are still a part of us.
Turkey is beautiful with its constituent parts. With the Muslims, Greeks, Jews, Armenians, Kurds, Laz, Gypsies, Georgians, Azeris and Arabs, it is a single unit and beautiful. No one has the power to force anyone out.
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