Armenian Stamp to Celebrate Hrant Dink

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1. Pre-Genocide Armenian Life in Turkey

   Today I attended a lecture and presentation by Osman Köker in Glendale, California. The event was made possible courtesy of  Ararat-Eskijian Museum, The Organization Of Istanbul Armenians (OIA), Project Save Armenian Photograph Archives, National Association For Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR). The lecture essentially consisted of the presentation of pre-Genocide postcards depicting Armenian life in Ottoman Turkey. The event was sponsored by the Glendale Public Library with the generous support of the Hampartzoum Chitjian Foundation, and the Organization of Istanbul Armenians.

    

   Mr. Köker first came to international attention in 2005 when he organized the unprecedented exhibition "Sireli Yeghpayrs (My Dear Brother)" in Istanbul. Eventually seen by thousands of people, it presented photographs of Armenian life in pre-Genocide Ottoman Turkey, drawn from a large collection of postcards owned by the collector. The exhibition was also presented last year in Yerevan.

    

   Mr. Köker had originally intended to write a book about Armenian life in the Ottoman Empire, but with the discovery of the postcard collection the scope of the project changed. Following the exhibition, he published the massive and beautifully-produced volume, in Turkish, which was subsequently published in English as "Armenians in Turkey 100 Years Ago," featuring hundreds of images showing where and how Armenians in the Ottoman Empire lived.

    

   In 1996 he was involved in the establishment of the Istanbul Turkish-Armenian daily ‘Agos’ and Aras Publishing House, the only Turkey-based publishing house which publishes books in Armenian and Armenian books translated into Turkish. The well attended exhibition was Köke’s first public presentation in the United States.

    

   Armenians in Canada or elsewhere may also look into sponsoring this uniquely interesting lecture presentation.

     

2. Hrant Dink stamp

   Dear Mr. Assadourian,

   Thank you for your work towards the acceptance of a Hrant Dink stamp to commemorate the 5th anniversary of his murder. We believe it is very important that one of the stamp designs be the one that was submitted from Toronto, Canada. This will show solidarity around the world on the lack of Human Rights in Turkey. It should also be encouraged that other designs be submitted to re-enforce this thought. It will show that Armenians care wherever they are in the world.

   Sincerely,

   Gerard Paraghamian a.o.c.a.33

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