Ferry hijacked to protest slogans in assassinated Turkish-Armenian journalist's funeral

January 28, 2007



Thousands of people marched in Dink's Funeral to protest his assassination, holding placards that read "We are all Armenian" and "We are Hrant Dink" in both Turkish, Kurdish and Armenian.

Previously, two major Turkish political parties protested these placards. In addition, a terrorist organization 'protested' these placards by placing a package, which was made to look like a bomb, to the wall of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM).

Tonight, a ferry was hijacked by a militant named Nihat Acar. Nihat Acar told security forces that he was a member of "Patriotic Turkish Guerrillas Union" ("Vatansever Türk Fedaileri Birliği") and that he placed explosives to the ferry. After 2 hours, Acar willingly surrendered to the Turkish security forces and stated that there were no explosives. The Turkish police is searching all the vehicles just in case.

A witness said: When we were in the middle of the sea, an activist from downstairs opened a Turkish flag. A little later he started making announcements, I think from the conning tower.

The militant stated that he hijacked the ferry to protest the "We are all Armenian" slogans used in Mr. Dink's funeral.