Turkish Intellectuals Who Have Recognized The Armenian Genocide: Nedim Şener

By Hambersom Aghbashian

Nedim Şener (born 1966 in Germany) is a Turkish writer and journalist. He started working as a journalist at the İlkhaber newspaper. Later, he wrote for the Dünya newspaper, then joined Milliyet in 1994, and wrote for Milliyet and Posta newspapers. He has received a number of journalism awards. He is particularly known for his 2009 book on the assassination of Hrant Dink, “The Dink Murder and Intelligence Lies.” In it he alleged that police officers responsible for the Ergenekon investigation were responsible for the murder. He is under indictment in the OdaTv case of the Ergenekon trials because, he believes, for revealing the responsibility of the police in Hrant Dink’s case. The Turkish Journalists’ Association has twice named Şener “Journalist of the year.” In 1999, he was awarded the “Metin Goktepe Journalism Award”. Also he has won “Pen Awards of Netherlands”, and “Abdi İpekçi Award”, and many other awards. In June 2010, Şener was named one of the “Vienna-based International Press Institute’s World Press Freedom Heroes” and in 2013, he was awarded the “International Press Freedom Award” of the New York-based “Committee to Protect Journalists.” Some of his other published books are Baba Seni Neden Oraya Koydular? (“Father, Why Have They Put You There?”, 2012), Kırmızı Cuma (“Red Friday”, 2011), Türkiye’de Farklı Olmak (“On Being Different in Turkey”, 2009), Hayırsever Terrorist  (“The Charitable Terrorist, 2006), and many others. Şener was arrested in March 2011 and held in pre-trial detention for over a year. He was released in March 2012 pending trial.

Nedim Şener was honored with Press Freedom Award, a recognition for his work in the Turkish press against a myriad of odds and challenges that mar the profession in the country. The Committee to Protect Journalists’ 2013 International Press Freedom Awards were presented to Ecuador’s Janet Hinostroza, Egypt’s Bassem Youssef, Turkey’s Nedim Şener and Vietnam’s Nguyen Van Hai  in a ceremony at New York’s Waldorf Astoria hotel. The four journalists  were honored for their work in the face of severe reprisals, including physical threats and imprisonment. Şener dedicated his award to the memory of Hrant Dink, whose killing he blames on the Turkish intelligence service.

Şener has faced three trials for his book about the assassination of Hrant Dink. Reporters Without Borders issued a statement expressing its hope that Turkish courts would dismiss all three charges brought against the writer. If convicted, Sener faces a possible combined sentence of 32 years in prison.(1)

On the 8th anniversary of Hrant Dink’s murder, January 19, 2015, in an interview with Prensa Armenia answering to a question “What did Hrant Dink represent for the Turkish society? Was he dangerous?” Nedim Şener repleid “Hrant Dink was the peacemaker, the representative of peace for the Turkish society, but it was dangerous for the Turkish state. After founding the Agos newspaper, he was under close surveillance. He wanted to prove that discussions in Turkey about the Armenian Genocide were possible to make them in a language of peace and empathy, but he was not allowed. Instead of friendship, enmity and fear won”. And about “Who was behind his murder?” He said. “The intelligence service of the Police, the National Intelligence Organization and the Border Police are responsible for first-degree murder. Gülen community is also included”.(2)

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1- http://www.mirrorspectator.com/2011/01/02/the-year-in-review-2010/
2- http://www.prensaarmenia.com.ar/2015/01/in-turkey-you-can-be-brought-before.html