YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS: Hrant Dink, the chief editor of the Turkish-Armenian bilingual weekly ‘Agos,’ published in Istanbul, said today in Yerevan that despite the mounting pressure and persecution of Turkish intellectuals who call on Ankara to officially acknowledge the 1915 Armenian genocide, there are visible changes in the minds and moods of the Turkish society reflected through growing interest towards the genocide issue.
Speaking to journalists at a press club here Dink said the growing pressure and persecution of Turkish authors who acknowledge the genocide is the direct retaliation of the Turkish government to frequented discussions and debates over the issue.
Dink was accused by a Turkish court of insulting ‘Turkishness’ and given a six-month suspended verdict, but now he is accused of disrespect towards judicial authorities. Dink added that despite this Turkey is going now through visible changes with pro-democratic forces becoming stronger.
“Many Turks are talking now about the Armenian genocide, the other part that does not talk, is interested in learning more about it,” he said, adding that the government is trying its best to hush this problem. For example, he said, Turkish school textbooks say nothing about the genocide, claiming even that Armenians killed Turks.
Dink said though the Armenian community of Turkey understandably cannot raise its voice in support of demands to recognize the genocide, he and like him will fight as long as needed to make the Turkish society accept the crime committed by their ancestors..
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