Slain Turkish-Armenian journalist's foundation banned from holding conference

Duvar English

A foundation that was established in memory of a slain Turkish-Armenian journalist was barred from holding a conference in Istanbul, days after being banned in the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri.

Hrant Dink Foundation was planning to hold a conference titled "Social, Cultural and Economic History of Kayseri and the Region" at the Hrant Dink Foundation's Havak Hall in Istanbul's Şişli district, before learning that it was banned some 16 hours before the event.

"As has been closely followed by the public, the conference had been initially planned to take place in Kayseri, yet was banned due to the interference of the Kayseri Governorship," read a statement released from the foundation, adding that it then decided to hold the conference in Istanbul.

"At a time when all the preparations have been made, all speakers from Turkey and all around the world have already arrived in Istanbul for the conference to take place tomorrow; today on October 17th, Thursday at 17:08, an official notice of ban was given by the Şişli District Governorship to the Foundation, which does not mention any justification for the ban decision," it also read.

Dink, the editor-in-chief of the weekly Agos, was shot dead on Jan. 19, 2007, in front of the paper's then-main office in Şişli by an ultranationalist, who later confessed to the murder and was given a jail term.

The case also became a subject of outrage after it was revealed that Turkish authorities had been aware of the plot to kill the journalist, but didn't act in accordance.