The September 19th & 19th: A Dark Mark on Armenian History Turkish crime repeated
Dates often carry symbolism. For Armenians, two “19ths” stand as wounds carved into the nation’s soul: January 19, 2007 and September 19, 2023.
On January 19, journalist and intellectual Hrant Dink was assassinated in front of the Agos newspaper office in Istanbul. His crime was not violence, nor treason, but truth. He dared to speak openly about the Armenian Genocide, reconciliation, and the need for Turkey to confront its past. For this, he was silenced. His murder was not an act of one fanatic alone — it was the byproduct of an entire system that demonized him, tolerated threats, and cultivated hate.
On September 19, the small Armenian Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) was emptied of its indigenous Armenian population. After months of blockade and starvation, Azerbaijani forces launched a one-day assault. Facing annihilation, Artsakh surrendered, and over 120,000 Armenians were driven from their homes. Ethnic cleansing was completed under the world’s watchful silence.
Two different 19ths, but the same story:
- A people silenced.
- A homeland erased.
- The perpetrator’s crime denied.
For Turkey and Azerbaijan, denial is not an afterthought — it is the strategy itself. Hrant Dink was killed to erase a voice. Artsakh was emptied to erase a nation. Both acts serve one larger purpose: to strip Armenians of truth, land, and identity.
But history records. The 19th is not just a date on the calendar — it is a reminder. A reminder that crimes unpunished repeat themselves. That silence from allies and international organizations only fuels aggressors. That without accountability, justice remains distant.
For Armenians, the 19th is now a symbol of resilience as well as tragedy. To remember Hrant Dink is to keep his voice alive. To remember Artsakh is to keep its people’s right of return alive.
The world may choose to look away. Armenians cannot.
Because the 19th will always stand as proof: denial kills — again and again.