{{short description|Turkish-Armenian activist (born 1959)}} {{infobox person | name = Rakel Dink | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1959}} | birth_place = Silopi, Şırnak, Turkey | spouse = {{marriage|Hrant Dink|1976|2007|reason=died}} | children = 3, including Arat }}
'''Rakel Dink''' (born 1959) is a Turkish Armenian human rights activist,<ref name=sabanci/> and head of the Hrant Dink Foundation.
She is the last member of the Armenian Varto Tribe who had settled in Cizre.<ref name=radikal.com>{{cite news|title=Kumkapı'da balıkçı sepetinde bulundu, yetimhaneye verildi 'Dilim giderim dese de adımlarım gitmek istemiyor' derdi|url=http://www.radikal.com.tr/turkiye/kumkapida-balikci-sepetinde-bulundu-yetimhaneye-verildibrdilim-giderim-dese-803578/|accessdate=8 December 2016|work=Radikal|publisher=radikal.com.tr|date=20 January 2007|language=Turkish}}</ref> She is the widow of Hrant Dink, a Turkish journalist and human rights activist of Armenian origin who was assassinated on 19 January 2007.<ref name=sabanci/>
She grew up in the Armenian orphanage, Kamp Armen, in Tuzla and served as the camp's manager for many years. She later became known for her speech at her husband's funeral. Her famous quote – "Nothing can be done without questioning the darkness that creates a killer from a baby." – was well-received by the public and published in the media.<ref name=Hürriyet/><ref>{{cite news|title=Bebekten katil yaratmak...|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/bebekten-katil-yaratmak-6366712|accessdate=8 December 2016|work=Hürriyet|publisher=hurriyet.com.tr|date=19 April 2007|language=Turkish}}</ref> Following Hrant Dink's assassination, she became involved in human rights activities and has served as the head of Hrant Dink Foundation since 2007.<ref name=vakif>{{cite web | title = Kurumsal Yapı | url = http://www.hrantdink.org/?About=20&Lang= | website = www.hrantdink.org | publisher = Hrant Dink Foundation website| accessdate = 10 December 2016 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20161217173445/http://www.hrantdink.org/?About=20&Lang= | archivedate = 17 December 2016}}</ref>
== Life == She was born in 1959 in Yolağzı, Silopi.<ref name=cumh/> She is the second child of Varto tribe's chief<ref name=sabanci/> Siyament Yağbasan (Vartanyan) and his wife Delal.<ref name=cumh>{{cite news|title=Acı acı ağlıyorum|url=http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/turkiye/261381/Aci_aci_agliyorum.html|accessdate=8 December 2016|work=Cumhuriyet|publisher=cumhuriyet.com.tr|date=23 April 2015|language=Turkish}}</ref>
The Armenian Varto tribe received an order for exile in 1915, but when they were attacked during the voyage, they took refuge in Mount Judi with the help of an Arab Muslim tribe called ''Tayanlar'' and lived there for 25 years.<ref name=sabanci/><ref name=cumh/> After 25 years and following World War II, the tribe moved to Cizre and was assimilated by Turkey to the Kurdish population there and began to speak mostly in Kurdish, and to carry out Christian worship in Kurdish.<ref name= sabanci/><ref name=Hürriyet>{{cite news|title=Erguvanlarla başlamıştı bu büyük aşk bir caninin kurşunuyla yarım kaldı|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/erguvanlarla-baslamisti-bu-buyuk-ask-bir-caninin-kursunuyla-yarim-kaldi-5850528|accessdate=8 December 2016|work=Hürriyet|publisher=hurriyet.com.tr|date=28 January 2007|language=Turkish}}</ref> After living a migrant life in bristle tents for a while, the tribe settled in the village of Varto, today called Yolağzı. Members of the tribe moved to Istanbul in 1978<ref name=ntv>{{cite web | title = Rakel Dink: Karanlığın başı devlet anlayışı | url = http://arsiv.ntv.com.tr/news/412917.asp | website = ntv.com.tr | publisher = Ntv.com.tr | accessdate = 10 December 2016 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20161220083843/http://arsiv.ntv.com.tr/news/412917.asp | archivedate = 20 December 2016}}</ref> and later to Belgium and France in the 1980s, and Dink's father Siyament died in Brussels in 2004. Rakel Dink is the last member of the tribe in Turkey.<ref name=cumh/>
Growing up in the village of Varto, Rakel Dink lost her mother in 1967, when she was 8 years old. Her father was taken to Istanbul with 12 children during his visit to the Armenian Protestant preacher Hrant Guzelyan (also known as Kucukguzelyan), a program for the placement of Anatolian Armenians in Istanbul.<ref name=cumh/> Rakel Dink was in the second group sent to Istanbul.<ref name=cumh/><ref name=akunq>{{cite web | title = Güneydoğu Anadolu'dan Avrpa'ya Ermeni Aşireti Varto'nun Hikayesi | url = http://akunq.net/tr/?p=3851 | website = akunq.net | publisher = Batı Ermenistan ve Batı Ermenileri Sorunları Araştırma Merkezi sitesi, 17 Ocak 2011 | accessdate = 10 December 2016 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20161220085236/http://akunq.net/tr/?p=3851 | archivedate = 20 December 2016}}</ref> In 1968, she went to Istanbul with her two brothers, and was placed in the Armenian Orphanage in Tuzla, called Kamp Armen. In summers, she stayed in Tuzla and in winters she was moved to Gedikpaşa Orphanage. Rakel Dink, who did not speak any languages other than Kurdish at the time, learned Turkish and Armenian in Istanbul. She graduated from Gedikpaşa İncirdibi Armenian Elementary School. Since she was officially registered as a Turkish citizen, it was not possible for her to attend the Armenian school anymore.<ref name=sabanci/> When her father did not allow her to attend a Turkish school after fifth grade, she was left out of the formal education system. She received a special education at the Gedikpaşa Orphanage.<ref name=sabanci/>
She later met Hrant Dink at the Tuzla Armenian Children's Camp and married him on 19 April 1976.<ref name=sabanci/> The religious ceremony was conducted at a church on 23 April 1977.<ref name=Hürriyet/> The couple had three children: Delal (1978), Arat (1979) and Sera (1986).
After the arrest of Güzelyan, the director of the Tuzla camp, in 1979<ref name=cumh/> Rakel Dink, together with her husband, served as the director of the Tuzla Armenian Children's Camp.<ref name=sabanci>{{cite web | title = Rakel Dink | url = http://alumni.sabanciuniv.edu/rakel-dink-devam | website = alumni.sabanciuniv.edu | publisher = Sabancı University | accessdate = 8 December 2016 | language = Turkish | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20161220103103/http://alumni.sabanciuniv.edu/rakel-dink-devam | archivedate = 20 December 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Tuzla Ermeni Çocuk Kampının İzleri|url=http://bianet.org/bianet/bianet/659-tuzla-ermeni-cocuk-kampinin-izleri|accessdate=8 December 2016|work=Bianet|publisher=bianet.org|date=7 February 2001|language=Turkish}}</ref>
Her husband, Hrant Dink, was assassinated on 19 January 2007 as he returned to the offices of ''Agos''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Gazeteci Hrant Dink silahlı saldırıda öldü|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gazeteci-hrant-dink-silahli-saldirida-oldu-5805242|accessdate=8 December 2016|work=Hürriyet|publisher=hurriyet.com.tr|date=19 January 2007|language=Turkish}}</ref> A funeral was organized for Hrant Dink on 23 January 2007, which was attended by a large number of people.<ref name=vatan>{{cite web | title = Türkiye Evladını Böyle Uğurladı | url = http://www.gazetevatan.com/turkiye-evladini-boyle-ugurladi-104941-gundem/root.vatan?exec=fotoalbum&kaid=314 | website = www.gazetevatan.com | publisher = Vatan | accessdate = 10 December 2016 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20161220190704/http://www.gazetevatan.com/turkiye-evladini-boyle-ugurladi-104941-gundem/root.vatan?exec=fotoalbum&kaid=314 | archivedate = 20 December 2016}}</ref> Rakel Dink also delivered a speech at the ceremony.<ref>{{cite news|title=Dink'i on binler uğurladı|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/turkish/europe/story/2007/01/070123_funeral_latest.shtml|access-date=8 December 2016|work=BBC Türkçe|publisher=bbc.co.uk|date=23 January 2007|language=Turkish}}</ref>
Rakel Dink is the president of the Hrant Dink Foundation, which was established in 2007 in order to develop a culture of dialogue, peace and empathy in order to keep Hrant Dink's dreams, language and heart alive for a more fair and free world.<ref>{{cite web | title = Sınırların ötesinde | url = http://www.armtr-beyondborders.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Beyond-Borders-tr.pdf | website = armtr-beyondborders.org | publisher = Ermenistan-Türkiye Normalleşme Süreci Destek Programı | accessdate = 8 December 2016 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20161220090742/http://www.armtr-beyondborders.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Beyond-Borders-tr.pdf | archivedate = 20 December 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Hrant Dink Ödülü bu akşam sahiplerini buluyor|url=http://t24.com.tr/haber/hrant-dink-odulu-bu-aksam-sahiplerini-buluyor,361089|accessdate=8 December 2016|work=T24|publisher=t24.com.tr|date=22 September 2016|language=Turkish}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dink, Rakel}} Category:1959 births Category:People from Şırnak Category:Turkish people of Armenian descent Category:Turkish human rights activists Category:Living people