Ismail Türüt

Ismail Türüt is an Turkish singer who created a song praising the murderers of Hrant Dink.

Song praising Dink murderers sparks outrage

A new song by folksinger İsmail Türüt, which covertly praises the men involved in the assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, has caused anger, resentment and grief throughout much of Turkish society.

Three ministries have also taken action following news stories on the ultra-nationalist song that an anonymous fan used to make a video showing Hrant Dink and Father Andrea Santoro, an Italian priest who was killed in the Black Sea region. The Justice Ministry and the Interior Ministry have started an investigation; meanwhile Minister of Culture and Tourism Ertuğrul Günay issued a stern statement, saying he had read the news reports “in horror.” Günay said the government would do everything within its power to make access to the online video clip impossible.

“The song includes intentional cues to fan feelings of hatred and enmity within society,” Günay observed. The Human Rights Association (İHD) called for a boycott of Türüt and announced that it would be filing a criminal complaint against the singer.

“Is it possible for society to function well as long as people who are bold about praising a cowardly and abject murder are respected in various sections of society and have their own television shows?” questioned journalist Ergun Babahan.

Many who were close friends of Dink were grieved by the song. “Even child pornography is innocent compared to this,” commented Gökhan Özgün, a columnist for Radikal daily. Lawyers representing the Dink family called on prosecutors to act. “The song incites murder,” said Kazım Bayraktar, who heads the Contemporary Legal Professionals Association.

Although the video was produced by a fan, the lyrics of Türüt’s song, written by Ozan Arif, a much-loved poet of the ultra-nationalists, are clearly praising the teenager who shot Hrant Dink on Jan. 17. Türüt denies his song has any racist implications, but references to the names of the teenager and Yasin Hayal, accused of soliciting the hit man, are present in the song -- concealed in rather basic wordplay.

The song also makes a clear reference to the Santoro murder. “Stop ringing bells/stop being pro-Armenian/the people won’t swallow that/not in the Black Sea region.” A picture of Father Santoro is shown in the video when Türüt sings the line “Stop ringing bells,” and footage from Dink’s funeral is displayed, in which hundreds of thousands of mourners holding banners reading “We are all Armenian” formed a long procession on the streets of İstanbul. A photo of Dink’s dead body in front of his newspaper Agos is shown as the words of the song “If somebody sells out the motherland/they will immediately die” are being sung.

Turut to face court

The New Anatolian / Ankara 19 September 2007

Public prosecutor filed two separate investigations regarding the video and the song of folk singer Ismail Turut which eulogizes murderers of Hrant Dink. Within the scope of the investigation, producers of the video will be found and also will be examined whether the lyrics of the song are chargeable of crime.

Ismail Turut can face prison terms up to 5 years.

Turut was quoted as saying that he does not care an investigation is launched or not by Turkish newspapers.

He previously denied appraising the murderers of Dink who was a prominent member of Armenian community in Turkey and the editor of Agos newspaper, video clip shows the dead body of Dink while singer says the verse `if a person betrays the country, he is finished off`

Nearly 5,340 people watched the three-minute video clip in the YouTube internet site. Broadcast of the song's video clip in the YouTube internet site created harsh reaction in Turkey. It was claimed that the video clip was shot by an extreme nationalist group in Australia. Dink's family is getting ready to file a lawsuit. The YouTube stopped broadcasting the video clip.

Hrant Dink was assassinated in Istanbul in January 2007, by Ogün Samast, a 17-year old Turkish nationalist. While Samast has since been taken into custody, pictures of the alleged assassin flanked by smiling Turkish police and gendarmerie, posing with the killer in front of the Turkish flag, have since surfaced. The photos created a scandal in Turkey, prompting a spate of investigations and the removal from office of those involved. Yasin Hayal was also claimed to be identifiable as the one actually pulling the trigger.

Turut's song mentioned the names of both Ogun Samast and Yasin Hayal and went on to say that there will be others who would follow in the footsteps of Ogun and Yasin.

Türüt denies allegations

Meanwhile, Star daily reported that the fan who made the video clip to the song was a Turkish worker living in Vienna. An earlier version of the video featured a picture of Evren İlhan, the man allegedly behind the disturbing string of images.

Türüt meanwhile defended himself, saying, “I have nothing to do with the video. I only wanted to draw attention to the games being played in the Black Sea region. I enjoyed singing the lyrics.”

Arif, the songwriter said, “I haven’t heard about the video. It must have been one of the Internet ‘birds’. The lyrics to this piece were written by me. I stand behind every line -- every single word.” Saying he was sorry about the Dink assassination, the songwriter continued, “However, the slogan ‘We are all Armenian’ should also be questioned. It is illogical to draw a parallel between the murder and the song.”