HRANT DINK LAID TO REST IN ISTANBUL....THOUSANDS ATTEND FUNERAL PROCESSION

WE ARE ALL HRANT - WE ARE ALL ARMENIAN

On Tuesday, January 23rd, Hrant Dink was laid to rest in the Armenian cemetery of Balikli, Istanbul, Turkey.

The funeral procession began at 11:00am outside the editorial offices of AGOS, the Turkish-Armenian newspaper that Hrant Dink edited. His wife, Rakel, released white doves as a symbol of peace and called on those in attendance to respect the wishes of the Hrant and not turn the solemn occasion into a political event.

Thousands of people joined the funeral march which escorted Hrant Dink's body the eight kilometers to the Armenian Church of the Virgin Mary in the Kumkapi district of Istanbul. There, Archbishop Mesrob II, Patriarch of the Armenian Church of Istanbul, presided over religious services for the repose of the soul of Hrant Dink.

Present at the funeral were dignitaries from Turkey, Armenia and elsewhere. Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, Armen Kirakossian, traveled from Armenia to attend the services despite the fact that the two countries still do not enjoy diplomatic relations. Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern diocese of the Armenian Church in the U.S., as well as Karen Mirzoyan, General Secretary of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Foundation, also were in attendance.

The Turkish government was officially represented by Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin and Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu.