Levon Panos Dabağyan, a Turkish-Armenian author who proposed the use of Nationalist Movement Party's (MHP) iconic three-crescents logo, passed away at age 84 late Monday.
In an interview he gave previously, Dabağyan said he proposed using the logo during MHP's 1969 congress convened in Adana. "I rose up and shouted 'We are Ottomans!' and said that we should use the Ottoman Empire's three-crescents sign." Dabağyan, being inspired by the Ottoman Empire's coat of arms, designed the logo on a red background instead of the original dark green one.
Dabağyan is one of the few Armenians who joined MHP and got involved in politics. Describing himself as "Ottoman-Armenian," he was known for his strong nationalist views.
He is the author of "Leader Türkeş and Nationalism: My Political Life and Views," a book that champions MHP's ideal of unity under a single national identity, and also the author's personal efforts to improve Turkish-Armenian relations. The book also tells about the Armenian diaspora's accusations targeting Dabağyan, and how he got involved in politics with MHP.
MHP is an opposition party in the Turkish parliament, with 36 deputies. The party sided with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in April 16 referendum, which granted Turkey a switch to the presidential system from the current one. In 2019 general elections, the first election under the terms of the new presidential system will be held.
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