Last week we had two demises one after the other. On January 17, 2013, journalist Mehmet Ali Birand and two days later on January 19, 2013 Prof. Toktamış Ateş have died.
Last week we had two demises one after the other. On January 17, 2013, journalist Mehmet Ali Birand and two days later on January 19, 2013 Prof. Toktamış Ateş have died.
Birand and Ateş, all through their lives have been the two advocates of democratic freedoms and freedom of expression. In 1995 Toktamış Ateş and Abdurrahman Dilipak meeting at the gates of İstanbul University and reciting Voltaire’s famous words had resonated widely and for a while they appeared in a TV Channel together contributing to freedom of expression by public discussions and taking root in collective consciousness. Prof. Ateş talking about TsNA on a video is available via our camera.
Infamous ‘Andıç’ (memorandum) victim Birand had been relentlessly working with his unique style whichever channel he worked at for the establishment of freedoms and democratisation in general.
We will remember and miss them both.