Hundreds gathered to honor and pay tribute to slain Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink on Sunday at the Civic Auditorium.
Dink, the 52-year-old founder and editor-in-chief of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspaper Agos, was assassinated in Istanbul on Jan. 19.
He was a proponent of human rights and an advocate of fostering dialogue and reconciliation between Turks and Armenians.
“Hrant Dink represented what is happening in modern-day Turkey and his passing is a reflection of that,” said Lena Kaimian, director of the Armenian Assembly of America western office. “Mr. Dink was a journalist and human-rights activist and what he was promoting was understanding of human rights and that is a universal message.”
Dink came to Glendale in November and met with city officials, including Police Chief Randy Adams and councilmen Ara Najarian and Rafi Manoukian, to discuss crime and politics.
During the tribute, speakers from various Armenian social, political and cultural organizations, including the Armenian National Committee, Armenian Bar Assn. and Organization of Istanbul Armenians, took part in the event.
Edvin Minassian, vice president of the Armenian Bar Assn. spoke about Dink’s fight for freedom of speech.
Minassian, who met Dink during his visit to the area, drew parallels between Dink and Mexican revolutionary, Pancho Villa.
“He was a different kind of warrior,” Minassian said. “He was armed with his pen and engaged in a battle with truth and decency.”
Minassian also spoke about Dink’s prosecutions after the statements he made in his newspaper about the Turkish government.
Dink first became an international figure in October 2005 when Turkey’s government prosecuted and convicted him on charges of racial hatred toward the founder of modern Turkey, Kemal Ataturk, in an article he wrote about the Armenian genocide.
“He refused to be silenced and demanded that Turkish citizens be informed and educated about the Armenian tragedies,” Minassian said. “He became a victim of fanaticism and hate.”
After the speech, the musical trio “Wings of Passion” took to the stage.
Armenian duduk players and a vocalist performed “Groonk,” Dink’s favorite song, which conveys the message of longing, celebration and exile.
The Zvartnots Dance Ensemble also performed for the audience.
For many attendees, including Manuk Avedikyan, the tribute to Dink on Sunday, is a way to keep his advocacy alive.
“I would have to say he is the most progressive and rational thinker of the Armenian diaspora,” Avedikyan said. “He was an advocate for free speech. It’s a universal issue.”
Glendale Community College history professor LevonÖ Marashlian,Ö who met Dink in November during his visit to Glendale, also attended the tribute.
Marashlian had transported Dink locally to meet with city officials.
“It’s just a huge loss,” Marashlian said of Dink’s death. “It’s a big loss for Turkey. Turkey and Turkish citizens need to have the integrity to help the Turkish government accept the truth.”
The event also included video footage of an interview with Dink and his funeral in Turkey.
Glendale resident Karine Armen also came to pay her respects, but admitted that she didn’t know who Dink was until she heard the news of his assassination.
“He was not afraid,” Armen said. “He dealt with fear and that’s inspiring.
After learning more about Dink’s legacy, Armen compared him to Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.
“Hrant Dink was a remarkable man,” she said. He was devoted to human rights.”