The Peoples’ United Revolutionary Movement (HBDH) Executive Committee made a statement on the occasion of the 16th anniversary of Armenian journalist Hrant Dink’s assassination in Istanbul.

The HBDH statement released on Thursday includes the following:

 “Another revolutionary intellectual of Armenian people, whom the genocide could not finish off, was murdered on a cold day in January. The corpse of Hrant Dink, who was murdered vulgarly by a bullet in the back, was left on the ground for hours to send a message to the peoples seeking freedom. The fascist message was not only for the Armenian people. It was also aimed at all peoples demanding justice.

"The 'Violin', as he was called by those who loved him, was broken in Istanbul. They broke this Violin, just like the piano of the famous music master, Gomidas, raised by the Armenian people 107 years ago. The fascist bullet was not only fired at a free thought, but also at a free voice. What they wanted to bring down was not only Hrant's body, but also his revolutionary attitude towards the genocide and his dreams of freedom.

Every defender of free thought, who opposes dictatorship, slavery, and captivity, is the target of fascism's attacks. Society as a whole is wanted enslaved. There is no other way but to resist, unite and fight in the lands where every dissenting voice is wanted to be silenced.

The genocide, planned 107 years ago, still continues today. The fascist AKP-MHP ruling maintains its strategical enmity against Armenian and Kurdish peoples. Hostility against Armenians and Kurds is not a periodic, daily, instantaneous phenomenon. Nor is it a government policy. Racism, reactionism and hostility are the foundations of the Turkish state. This is why the Medya Defense Zones and the free Rojava lands are permanently bombarded with chemical bombs and destructive gases every day. The desire is to seize the lands where the Kurds and Armenians live.

The fascist ruling is not only hostile to the Armenian and Kurdish people. It bears great hostility against free ideas and dreams as well. That is why socialists, revolutionaries, progressives, intellectuals, journalists, women and children are the targets of fascism every day and every moment.

It is not a coincidence that dictators target the leaders of freedom struggle. Kurds, Armenians, workers, women... the leaders of the revolution are the guides of consciousness, belief, will and determination. They are the builders. They are the light that shatters the darkness and the hope that breaks ignorance.

Fascism is the enemy of consciousness, courage and hope. That's why it doesn't want or accept the people and the leaders of the revolution to meet, become comrades and fight together. That is why fascism uses all kinds of destructive and enslaving weapons. It tries to shoot, destroy and silence the pioneers by resorting to all kinds of dirty provocations.

As Hrant said, if you are both an Armenian and a leftist in this country, you are the biggest trouble. Hrant Dink was both a good Armenian and a good revolutionary. Because his immortal teacher was Armenak Bakırcıyan.

As we commemorate with respect and gratitude the leaders and countless pioneers of the revolution that we lost in the freezing month of January, we take Hrant Dink's brave stance against the Armenian Genocide and the idea of ​​​​people's fraternity as our ideals."