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01.06.2007

Assassination in Malatia (Reasons and consequences)

   

Ruben Melkonyan

On April 18, 2007 in the publishing house “Zirve” situated in Turkish city Malatia were assassinated three coworkers of the publishing house, two of which were of German and one of Turkish origin. This publishing house was publishing and spreading Christian literature. It means that being the followers of Protestant Church they were carrying out missionary activity in Turkey.

Missionary in Turkey in the 21st century

The discussions, disputes and researches of missionary movement have become quite frequent in Turkey recently. According to the Turkish sources, the missionary movement, which has a history of many centuries, today is being widely spread in Turkey, the direct result of which one can see in the face of thousands of Moslems converted to Christians. Some Turkish sources consider the change of religious belief to be religious conversion and basing on different data prove that most of the people who declined of Islam are the generation of non-Turkish Christians. The results of the research revealed that most of the apostates or for about 60% are ethnic Armenians who used to be Christians. However, one should take into consideration the fact that among the apostates there are a big number of people who at present adhere to Catholic or Protestant Churches, and here, of course, the role of the above mentioned missionary activity is very big1. However, throughout the centuries the meaning of “Armenian” and “Christian” have become somehow synonymous and that’s why the conversion of gaith among the Ethnic Armenians may somehow be cold an attempt to return to the national origin or at least wake of consciousness of national belonging.

According to the Turkish sources the missioners are especially active in the western and southern parts of Turkey. This preference of missioners is not by chance and is very logical as after the Armenian Genocide the Islamized, assimilated and semi-assimilated Armenians have remained in those very parts. Without putting any strong accent, however, one may suppose that one of the most important “targets” of Catholic and Protestant missioners naturally and logically are to be the generation of the Islamized Armenians. In this case we would like to make certain reservations concerning to “cripto” Armenians, as their way of living is closed for the outside eye and could somehow continue some attributes of their pre-Genocide religion, and if we take into consideration the fact that most of the Armenians inhabited in that part were the followers of the Apostolic Church, we may suppose, that Christian rituals and traditions continued secretly afterwards are to be of Apostolic origin.

From the other hand, there are some opinions that one of the main targets of the missioners is the Alevits, and the propaganda spread among them is connected with the interest of power states and geopolitical problems.

Malatia as one of the focal points of missionary movement

As the Turkish sources have it, one of the most important focal points of today’s missionary movement is Mallatia and its neighborhood. To us this may be connected with the above mentioned expectations of finding possible adherents and recruiting them. For example, according to the Turkish professor Salim Jyohje, there are more than 3500 families of “criptio” Armenians in the very Malatia. In its time being densely populated with Christians, Malata and its neighborhood may become very interesting for the missioners from the standpoint of finding there “wrecks of Christianity” and spreading preaching. It is not by chance that the publishing house “Kayra” later on renamed “Zirve” was situated there. It belonged to the Protestant missioners and was busy with publishing and distributing Christian literature. The missionary movement interests and worries not only Turkish scientific, Islamic, extremist circles, but also the state structures. For example according to the data represented by Malatia’s Security Service Department there are 53 “house-churches” in the province, the New Testament is being delivered secretly and gratuitously, in the leading circle and in the stuff are involved citizens of Germany and South Africa. According to the same sources, Active work has been carried out in Malatia for the last years in this direction increasing the number of its followers and the houses which were turned into churches. The problem of missionary was even discussed in Turley’s National Security Council: as a result, it was found out that for about 10 000 people were apostatized, and the number of missioners was for about 50. According to the report made by Turkey’s National Security Council in February 2005, using Istanbul as a base, the missioners work in Anatolia and within a year they opened 230 underground churches. At sunset of his life the former Prime Minister of Turkey, Bulet Ecevit, began an open struggle against the missionary as in his opinion on the way to the UN membership their religion, Islam, faces serious threats, to which they can’t turn a blind eye. According to the information offered by Turkey’s Minister of Home Affairs Abdulqadir Aksu in 2006, 344 Muslims were apostatized within the last 7 years, at that the 338 of them adopted Christianity and only the 6 – Buddhism. Thus, Turkey’s corresponding authorities have begun considering missionary to be one of the most serious dangers threatening Turkey.

Mascara in the bible publishing house “Zirve”

On April 18 of the current year five young men burst into the publishing house “Zirve” late Wednesday morning, severely tortured the three co-workers for a few hours and then killed them by cutting their throats. It is noteworthy that all the murderers are 19-20 years old and, according to preliminary information, were the students of the preparatory course in Malatia’s University. We are also terrified by the fact that the young men bounded their victims to their chairs and for many hours stabbed them and cut into peaces. The police reached the scene of action and captured the five murderers; one of the murderers, who organized the mascara, Emre Gyubaydn, tried to run away and jumped out of the second floor but he was wounded. Two of the victims were found tortured to death, and the one, Ukhul Yuksel, was taken to hospital and died soon afterworlds. According to the Malatia hospital Doctor Murat Ughlash, the above mentioned Ukhul Yiksel was tabbed numerous times and it is obvious that he was intended to be tortured to death. It was also discovered that each of the criminals had a note with him with the same content that there were going to die consciously and they do it “for the sake of their motherland” as the religion is “being spoilt” and let it “be a good lesson for the enemies of the religion”. It was also known that the criminals and the victims new each other before that day: under the pretence that they were interested in Christianity, the criminals communicated with their victims for a few months and collected data. It proves that the assassination was panned beforehand. A few days before the massacre the assassins were arrested during the shooting lesson but were released soon. Let’s not to forget that the murderer of Hrant Dink, Ogun Samast has also confessed that he was chosen because his shooting skills performed at the lesson were eye striking. There are some opinions that such kinds of terrorist acts are planned to be realized in other regions as well if the group is not arrested.

The target choice

Basing on the information released by some sources as well as by the publishing house’s director Hamza Ozant, they were long being threatened for many times. And the change of the name “Qayra” into “Zirve” was also connected with the threats posed by so called “idealists”. It is known that the ones calling themselves “idealists” were the youth wing of “Gray Wolves”. The head of Diyarbekir’s Protestant Church Ahmed Gyuvener has announced that that they also get threatening letters all the time. He tells that at the Easter celebration day in Malatia a group of young men issued threats to them and made an attempt to fail the liturgy. Besides, politicians and organizations, different social strata and mass media continuously represent the Christians, national minorities, in short the “foreigners” in Turkey as targets. It was like that in the period proceeding Hrant Dink’s assassinated, at the time of Malatia’s massacre, and however sad and worrying it is, we can see the same picture today and maybe in the future as well. We can prove it providing the latest striking example: after the massacre of Malatia, when on the matter of missionary movement in Turkey was being live discussed on Turkish TV the President of Ankara Trade Hall Sinan Aygun announced addresses of underground churches and even repeated them twice, probably aiming at attracting the assassin’s attention. Sinan Aygun was among the ones who first resisted the motto “We are all Armenians, We are all Hrant Dink”, saying that her name was Sinan, and she was Turkish. According to the above mentioned clergyman Gyuvener, the local newspapers of Malatia were for 6 months full of anti-Christian articles, and the names of ones killed on April 18 were all the time being circulated obviously pointing at the targets and attracting attention on them. He adds that one can witness the same situation in Diarbekir, and basing on that announces that he will suffer the same fate, he is already a target and can be killed every minute. The Protestant clergyman has also pointed out that the victims knew about their possible assassination and had left a letter of attorney to a reliable family empowering them to take care of their families and children. He also added he was also going to live such a warrant as he had also got a family and children. The Missionary work in Turkey is not criminally punishable and maybe that’s why the institute of people’s trial is so active. However, besides there were a few trial cases in process, where the missioners are being convicted by the well known 301 article of the penal code according to which “carrying out missionary work they have insulted the Turkish identity”. Kemal Kerinchsize, a lawyer who was working against Ding by its time, was now taking part in the hearing of a legal case.

Let’s also list some of the attacks on Christian Churches and organizations in Turkey mentioned in the newspapers within the period of 2005-2007.

April 2005 – A rally of protest was organized in front of the Protestant Church, was beaten the host of the house where the church was located.

April 2005 – Explosives were thrown on the International Protestant Church of Ankara.

November 2005 – An attempt was made to burn down Saint Poghos cultural center belonging to Antala’s Protestants.

January 2006 – The leader of Adana’s Protestant Church Kamil Kroghlu was beaten and threatened to be killed.

February 2006 – In Izmir was beaten and threatened to be killed a Catholic priest.

March 2006 – In Mersin the members of Catholic Church were threatened by knives.

July 2006 – In Samsum was stabbed and wounded a Catholic priest.

June 2007 – An attack was made on the Protestant Church in Sasun.

Let’s also add that the Armenian Apostolic Church in Turkey (Patriarchy of Armenian living in Constantinople) was not deprived of attacks either. One should only mention the threatening words which appeared on the walls of some of the Armenian churches in Istanbul after Dink’s assassination as well as the unsuccessful attempt to kill the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople at the celebration organized after 40 days of Dink’s assassination.

Responses

Outward responses – Malatia’s massacre found wide responses both in Turkey and out of its borders. The criminal act was condemned by a number of international organizations and such authoritative mass media as “Roiters”, “BBC”, “Daily Telegraph”, “Di Velt”, “New York Times”, “Associated Press” etc.

Internal responses – However, the responses voiced in Turkey after the event deserve more attention. Of course the massacre became “article number one” of Turkish press: Immediately analytics and well known journalists appeared with their articles on the subject. For example, Mehmet Ali Birand points out that there is not much difference between the ones taking hostages in Iraq and than cutting their throats and Turkey as they have the same targets in the face of Christians or according to the characterization of Turks “unbelievers” and they also have the same motives “for the sake of the homeland” and “for the sake of Islam”. Another journalist, Taha Akyol, in his article published in the newspaper “Milliet” attracts our attention on the fact that in the Turkish society there are many people like Ogyun Samast who assassinated Hrnt Dink and asks a question of not quite rhetoric character for the Turkish reality: “Who is the next, what will be the next criminal act”. In the very “Milliet” the journalist Eje Temelkuran advances the idea that all these are in the end directed to Turkish minorities. According to him, it has already been furthered emigration among the Christians and especially Armenians. In the very article is also asked the question what will happen when the Turkish “foreigners”, that’s to say minorities leave the country. The journalist thinks that it is vital for extremist groupings or flows “to have an enemy” and in the future, after the possible abandonment of Turkey from national minorities, they will target “less Turks” or “less Muslims”.

The misdeed committed in Malatia was also condemned by Turkey’s President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, the heads of political parties, Greek and Armenian Patriarchs.

On April 19 in Taksim Square of Istanbul a number of social organizations organized sit-ins during which, continuing “the war of slogans“ was raised a poster very much like the one advanced after Dink’s assassination “nip and tuck against fascism, we are all Christians”. It is noteworthy that hundreds of people gathered there often scanned “We are all Christians, we are all Armenians” and lighted candles. The rally participants called for the authorities to undertake preventive measures against nationalism, otherwise tomorrow it would be too late. It was also urged not to allow the assassins to be heroized as it happened after the assassination of Dink. More scanty rallies were also organized in Malatia and Ankara.

However, as after Dink’s assassination, now as well there are also positive responses in certain Turkish circles. As we have already mentioned, different strata of Turkish society has been considering Turkey’s national and religious minorities to be targets. The Missioners have long been targets of such attacks being condemned in treachery, splitting the country into parts etc. After the assassinations as well many people condemned “missionary movement” in them.

The day of the assassination in internet forums, in the newspaper readers’ commentaries one could witness word of support directed to criminals, and the murderers were proclaimed to be “Malatia’s knights”. It was also expressed deep regret that the assassins didn’t manage to cut up the victims into peaces and advised them to implement other “methods”. In the commentaries of readers one could often meet calls of nationalists: “either love or leave the country”. The “Knights of Malatia” were sent congratulations from different places and it was mentioned that all the Christians would suffer the same fate and be beheaded if they acted against Islam. There are also obvious Panturkist appeals: “the Koran is leading and Turan is the goal. Turkey belongs to Turks.” One can also come across appeals to continue the work: “Hey, wake up Turkish youth, four heads are still not enough.” It is also mentioned some targets, for example, people are called for not to forget about “Tnjeli’s unbelievers”. There are also personified threats: “Orkhan Pamum, we haven’t forgotten you…you are still in our memory.”

However, one can also come across announcements and commentaries unconditionally denouncing the crime, though, here too, most of the appeals are of “counterbalancing” character: for example, together with denouncing the crime, it is also suggested to denounce the assassination of Turks carried out in different periods of times, at that, the Armenians were suggested to appear with a similiar slogan that “We are all Turks,” mentioning the names of the assassinates.

Were the victims apostates or the ones converted anew

In “Zirve” publishing house were killed three people: the German Tilman Ekehart Geske and Turkush citizens Nejati Aydn (from Erzrum) and Ughur Yuksel (From Elyazig). Let’s mention that their activity, as well as their tragic death let us suppose that they will become Christian Martyrs. The head of Turkey’s Protestant Church has announced that the victims are their “first martyrs” in that territory. It is known that Ugur Yuksel comes from an Alevi family and officially adopted Christianity in 2005. His family is from the Mansour village of Elyazig and in this very place he was buried.

It is also noteworthy that there are not mosques in the village. And Nejati Aydn, who reached the order of pastor in the Protestant Church, officially adopted Christianity in 1999. By the way, he was rejected by his family because of adopting Christianity. According to Aydn’s elder brother, he was mainly influenced by his wife to adopt the Christianity because he rejected Islam After getting married with her. However, it is quite noteworthy Ayden’s letter directed to his family where he was explaining his family why he made such a step: “I return to the community of Christ to which I’ve once belonged (underlined by the author – R.M.).” It is known that since 2004 an effort has been made to reopen the churches in Malatia.

The above mentioned professor Salim Jyohjen also turned to this matter mentioning that122 citizens turned to the governor of Malatia claiming to reopen the churches. It is known that Nedjati Aydn and his friend Khusein Yelkin also adopted Christianity not long before it and were engaged in this issue. The group organized by their efforts was working in that direction.

The two mentioned above often visited the historical church of Vank (it is supposed to be an Armenian Apostolic church) aiming at its opening and announced that it would be open for prayer one day. According to the Turkish sources Nejati Aydn was the second most influential Christian in Malatia after Martin De Doleng. It was also found out that in 2000 he was arrested and interrogated for his activity carried out in Kurdish and Alevi villages. However, he didn’t continue his activity after that. According to the information released by the security services, Nejati Aydn and his friends were working in the eastern and south-eastern regions of Turkey. It is also quite noteworthy that Nejati was very much interested in the restoration works of the church Surb Khach located on the island Akhtamar on the bank of the Van. According to the information of the Turkish journal “Aksion,” received from a security service official responsible for missionary movement in that region, the above mentioned persons worked more actively in the direction of changing demographic picture than converting to Christians. The same source pointed out that this activity is more carried out among cripto Armenians as well as in the former Armenian villages, among Kurds and Alevis.

While speaking about convention of faith, the Armenian Patriarch in Constantinople, Mesrop Mutafyan, also said that most of the people who adopted Christianity are the offspring of former Christians. All these facts make a ground to suppose that violently assassinated Nejati Aydn and Ugur Yuksel were not apostates but the ones reconverted. It is also not excluded that they may be the descendants of cripto or Islamized Armenians. In particular, one may come to such a conclusion analyzing Nejati Aydn’s activity.

In this way, considering and analyzing the above mentioned facts, one can conclude that:

1. In spite of the fact that in Turkey, which has adopted the way of integration with the UN, one can from time to time notice certain changes to the better (although quite superficial and insignificant), however, there is strong nationalistic orientation in the Turkish society and the number of its adherents is not little. It is importance too notice that nationalism has deep roots especially among the younger generation. One can’t bit think that the nationalists are a more dominating power than their opponents. Hatred and discrimination to national and religious minorities formed in this country within centuries playing an important role in all these. The Turkish citizens, which make the minority, are considered to be and treated as “strangers.” In more extremist circles these “strangers” are taken as enemies, betrayers. By the way, it is quite predictable in the country where even in the textbooks the Armenians are presented to be a mean nation of betrayers.

Recently in Turkey it has often been actively discussed the notion of “Derin devlet” - “deep-laid government”: let us advance and add the conventional term “Derin toplum”- “deep-laid society.” What does the formulation “deep-laid society” mean? It is meant to be the expression and concentration of real moods, way of thinking dominating and consequently determining certain circles of the Turkish society. The representatives of the very “deep-laid society” were the pogrom-makers of Armenians and Greeks in Istanbul on September 6-7, 1955; the ones who made an attempt upon the Pop’s life, the assassins of the Catholic clergyman in Trapzon, Hrant Dinka and the co-workers of the publishing house in Malatia. There are a great number of such examples. As the Turks themselves confess, their arsenal is rich with ogyun samast who are always ready to kill the “strangers” in Turkey “for the sake of their state and faith.” The experience has come to prove that the overwhelming majority of the Turkish society is ready to heroize the assassins openly or “on default,” and we think that there are good chances for such crimes to be reiterated desiring to become heroes “for the sake of motherland.” That’s to say, Turkish or more exactly “deep-laid society” is to be blames for all these. Correlation between the “deep-laid government” and “deep-laid society” seems to be quite logical and natural.

2. The intolerance formed in Turkey is more obvious with respect to religious minorities and particularly – Christians. The “unfaithful -gyavur,” as a Christian is called here, is very often perceived to be a scoundrel, betrayer, enemy, and the struggle against the unfaithful is considered to be an “honorable” necessity for Turks. Some manifestations of awake and conversion to Christianity among cripto Armenians is the matter of disturbance for different Turkish circles. And their interest to the given issue is conditioned by it. Kripto – as well as officially reconverted Armenians are perceived to be targets and presented to the society as such. For example, the professor Salim Jyohje appeals to take measures against undesirable developments among cripto Armenians “remaining in the framework of democracy.” The one denouncing Islam officially, according to that religion, is to be executed, yet, in secular Turkey this principle doesn’t have force of the law. However, as it was mentioned in our previous article (“converting the cripto Armenians to their religion”) apostates and reconverted ones are probable to become the target for extremists and the assassinations carried out in the publishing house “Zirve” have come to prove our suppositions.

At the same time, according to different Turkish sources, the massacre in Malatia is connected with eye striking developments among the cripto Armenians. The assassinated Nejati Aydn was the follower of the Protestant Church and was engaged with the matters of reopening the Protestant Churches, besides, knowing Kurdish he was carrying out an activity in Turkey’s eastern and south south-eastern regions, where, as it is known, live completely or semi-assimilated Kurdish-speaking Armenians. It is worth mentioning that the missioners distribute the Bible also published in Kurdish.

This assassination may somehow slow down and even for a certain period stop the process of self-disclosure and conversion to their religion, a purpose which was being perused while turning from threats to concrete actions to the cripto Armenians the ones not concealing their origin. However, one can not exclude back reaction as well, that is the Christianity making a quicker run.

3. After all, why did the campaign against national and religious minorities intensify which is outwardly denounced and criticized by the authorities? We suppose that the reasons have deeper roots and are hidden in the aspiration to form mononational and monoreligious Turkey. If we study the newest period of Turkey’s history then after the First World War and the Genocide of Armenians, the small number of national minorities remaining in that country were permanently victimized organized on the state level aiming at forcing those minorities leave the country “voluntarily.” The striking example of it is the total number of national minorities living in Turkey today, for about100 000 people2, most of which are Armenians, and consequently, they are to be the main target for attacks. It is supposed that the operations launched today peruses the same purpose: “to set free” Turkey from “alien” elements; there is some contradicting information that Armenian community of Istanbul is being washed by the wave of emigration, or at least they began thinking more about leaving the country. In the Republic of Turkey the Greeks, the number of which today is only 2000, suffered the same fate.

The Pan-Turkism ideologist Zia Gekalp(1876-1924), who was sharing the ideas and standpoint of the Turkish authorities’ state policy, thought that no nation but Turks should live in Turkey. Non-Turkish nations must either become Turks of leave the country, and this idea has again become the slogan of contemporary Turkish nationalists. “Either love or leave the country.” At that the word “live” should be perceived in the meaning of “get assimilated.” However, at the same time we suppose that adopting the way of “Europeanization” Turkey needs communities on national minorities, which, if necessary, would appear with the necessary for the authorities announcements addressed to the external world. At that an attempt would be made to show the world that the national minorities of Turkey live in favorable conditions. However, Turkish authorities don’t need a large number of communities of national minorities including no more then 1-2 thousand people like the Greek one which, in the multimillion Turkey look like Museum exhibits.

1 There is some information that the Armenian patriarchy in Constantinople doesn’t react actively to the claims of people desiring to change their faith, apparently to avoid the accusations of “destabilizing situation in the country” and “divisive activity” which may be voiced by the Turkish authorities and different groups, and maybe because the part of reconverted join with the Catholic and Protestant Churches.

2 Let’s mention that these figures are quite approximate, that’s to say, different sources cite different data.


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