The arrest of the killer immediately after the assassination of Hrant Dink can have two explanations. Either the Turkish government is interested in exposing the crime and therefore it did everything to reveal the killer right away, or official Ankara decided to stage a show to hide those who are responsible for the assassination. It is rather complicated to tell which one is real. The murder of Dink can really be the fruit of the “imagination” of the nationalist teenager. But the problem is that the consequence of this murder creates a favorable atmosphere for many political groups. Therefore, even if we suppose that this murder is but “romanticism”, we can be sure that its revelation will be politicized in any case.
Official Ankara has several reasons to politicize. First, by exposing the murder Ankara can show to the international community that everyone who encroaches upon freedom of speech is responsible. Besides, by revealing the murder Ankara can direct it against its internal political opponents. The Turkish government can use the investigation of the murder of Hrant Dink as a means of sustaining stability in the country, making an effort to negotiate with the political opponents and using the investigation to put pressure on them. Everything depends on where official Ankara expects a harder blow, from the outside or from the inside. Perhaps this will determine the process of investigation and the vector of exposing the organizers.
The world also has reasons to politicize the investigation of the murder. It can be divided into three parts, the United States, the European Union and also Armenia to some extent. The Turkish and American relation is not good. Considering the American plan to establish a Kurdish state, this relation will tend to become worse rather than improve. In this situation, the United States would not miss an opportunity to put pressure on Turkey. So does the European Union; Europe is looking for reasons to reject Turkey’s membership; at the same time, it lets Turkey hope. For this reason, it is quite possible that Europe may admit with every outcome of the investigation that the Turkish government made sufficient efforts to expose the murder. At the same time, however, the Europeans will be dissatisfied with the effectiveness of the investigation. And under this circumstance the factor of Armenia may be put forward. And Europe will express its dissatisfaction through Armenia and the Armenians as it usually does. And Armenia will gladly become engaged in this game, hoping to reach a favorable outcome in terms of the Armenian and Turkish relation. It is an illusion, of course, because the Armenian and Turkish relation will never improve through mediation, especially a mediated pressure, and Armenia cannot achieve any result if it is a mere object. This is another problem, however. And the murder of Hrant Dink will be revealed thanks to political developments rather than investigation. The logic of the political developments will make it clear who needed to kill Hrant Dink and why.
Of course nationalism has deep roots among Russians as well. Even back in past Russian had a very popular tradition. They would “get drunk” from time to time and decide to beat the Jews. Now it’s understandable. Russia has developed and everything is done in a civilized way. Recently Russia adopted a new, according to which starting from January 1, 2007 the foreign citizens are not allowed to trade in the markets of Russia. Nothing bad to add. It’s a good legislation. If this law is really realized then many of our compatriots will have to come back to Armenia. But the problem is that after the functioning of this law the number of Caucasians in Russian markets is not going to be decreased. Only the amount of bribes given to local policemen will rise. It means that the “blacks” will be more covered and the skinheads will operate more actively and openly. Some new school children will be slain in the result of “criminal actions”, etc.
And we will be giving deeper reverences to our “strategic ally”, because Armenia survives at the expense of foreign monetary transfers. Most amount of the transferred money comes from Russia. It’s OK. let them degrade us even more. The good thing is that not only Armenians are degraded.