Tens of thousands of people today gathered on the streets of Istanbul in a massive outpouring of grief for a slain Turkish-Armenian journalist.

Hrant Dink was gunned down in broad daylight on Friday outside the offices of his newspaper, Agos. Known for his articles on the mass killings of Armenians during the final days of the Ottoman Empire, the 52-year-old angered nationalists who accused him of insulting Turkey.

In one of the largest funerals ever held in Istanbul, up to 100,000 tearful mourners took to the streets from the early hours of the morning, marching behind the sunflower-lined coffin of the murdered editor along an 8km route from the his offices to an Armenian Orthodox church. Mr Dink’s daughter, Sera, carried a framed picture of her father and wept as she walked in front of the coffin.

Thousands upon thousands gradually filled the bridges and streets as far as the eye could see in either direction, with the procession forcing the closure of city centre.

As well as bidding farewell to Mr Dink, many were there to show support for a more open and liberal Turkey free from the grasp of the hardline nationalists who still enjoy significant influence in the country. Until today, there have been few such rallies in Turkey in favour of freedom of speech.

Much of the general consensus was demonstrated via numerous placards, displaying such slogans as: 'We are all Hrant Dinks' and 'We are all Armenians' – in both Turkish and Armenian.

But despite a request from Mr Dink’s family not to turn the funeral into a protest, some mourners were more vocal in raising their opinion, holding up their fists and shouting: "Shoulder to shoulder against fascism" and "Murderer 301" - a reference to the Turkish law that was used to prosecute the journalist and others on charges of insulting "Turkishness."

Among the intellectuals dragged to court over Article 301 was novelist Orhan Pamuk, who last year won the Nobel Prize in literature. Such prosecutions have caused anxiety at the EU, which is considering Turkey’s bid to join its ranks, amid reservations about its record on human rights and freedom of expression.

Mr Dink sought to encourage reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia, but chose a dangerous path by making public statements about the murder of Armenians by Turks in the early 20th century, which remains one of the nation’s most divisive issues.

On several occasions, Dink expressed his view that the killings amounted to genocide, enraging nationalists who have adamantly claimed there was bloodshed on both sides during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The remarks also landed him in court and prompted death threats.

Police are questioning seven suspects, including 17-year-old Ogun Samast - who authorities say has confessed to shooting the journalist - and Yasin Hayal, a nationalist militant convicted in a 2004 bomb attack at a McDonald’s restaurant.

Hayal has confessed to inciting the slaying and providing a gun and money to the teenager, according to police.

"It was an attack against all of us," said Oya Basaran, 52, a school principal. "We want to live together as brothers. We want to give the message to the world that the killing does not represent us."

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