S/E EUROPE
Dink murder trial opens behind closed doors
Eighteen people charged in shooting of Turkish-Armenian journalist
By Nicolas Cheviron - Agence France-Presse
ISTANBUL – The trial of 18 people charged with involvement in the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink opens behind closed doors here today, with his lawyers complaining that several security officials they say should also be tried are not among the accused. The central figure of the trial is triggerman Ogun Samast, who has admitted to killing Dink by shooting him twice in the head and once in the neck on a busy Istanbul street on January 19, in front of the offices of his bilingual Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos.
The triggerman
The unemployed 17-year-old Samast, who said he came to Istanbul to kill Dink from his native Trabzon, where he was known for his close ties to ultranationalist circles, faces 18 to 24 years in jail for the murder and a further nine to 18 years for belonging to a terrorist organization.
The prosecution did not seek life because Samast is a minor, which is also why the trial is closed to the public.
Two men accused of being the leaders of the far-right group and ordering the murder, Yasin Hayal and Erhan Tuncel, could be jailed for life without the possibility of parole if found guilty.
The 15 others on trial face jail sentences of seven-and-a-half to 35 years.
Before being arrested for the Dink murder, Hayal had already served jail time for the 2004 bombing in Trabzon of a McDonalds restaurant in which six people were injured.
Hayal faces a separate trial for having threatened Turkey’s 2006 Nobel Literature laureate Orhan Pamuk, whose views on the World War I massacres of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire are unpopular in Turkey.
Notable for their absence in the dock, according to Dink family lawyer Fethiye Cetin, are several unnamed security officials.
“Members of the security forces in Trabzon, where the killing was planned, in Istanbul, where it was executed, and in Ankara, where the intelligence was gathered, were not included among the accused,” she told a news conference Friday.
“And this despite the established fact that they had links with the suspects, failed in their duty, concealed evidence and even sought to vindicate the murder and the murderer,” she said.
A ‘test’ of judiciary
“Hrant Dink’s murder trial is a critical test of the Turkish judiciary’s independence,” the international rights organization Human Rights Watch said in a statement Friday.
“The Turkish judiciary must hold accountable any security forces responsible for negligence or collusion in the murder,” it said.
Dink, 52, had drawn the ire of the Turkish far right for having openly argued that the mass killings of Armenians in the dying days of the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1917 constituted genocide – a label most Turks despise and Turkey officially rejects.
The murder sent the country into prolonged shock, and more than 100,000 people from all walks of life took to the streets of Istanbul on the day of Dink’s funeral, chanting “We are all Hrant Dink” and “We are all Armenians.” Dink’s friends and followers said they plan to hold a rally in his memory near the courthouse where his murder trial opens today.
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2007-07-09 12:10:10 · 17 answers · asked by not fair 6 in Travel ➔ Europe (Continental) ➔ Turkey
His memory is still living in every Armenians, Turks, and even the "hater" Turks heart.
The murder committed was a wake-up call for the entire world...a wake up call to stand up and FIGHT FOR JUSTICE!
2007-07-11 18:42:25 · answer #1 · answered by Aniii 2 · 5⤊ 3⤋
Why don't you just admit you enjoy the deaths or Armenians? After all, you treat them so well, right? And look how they respect you. They don't. Maybe you should pull another genocide party to be popular all over the world again.
2007-07-14 09:38:39 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 4⤋
wow long article,
anyway
his murder is unacceptable and when i think who killed him and why,its shameful,a lot of Turkish people felt so ashemed.
The young idiot called Ogun Samast is no different than the ASALA murderers who killed our sinless diplomats all over the world.Most of them got away with their crime.
Turkey will never forgive Ogun the idiot and his gang for what they've done.I hope the trial brings justice to everyone.
2007-07-09 22:42:16 · answer #3 · answered by mertev 4 · 7⤊ 3⤋
You didn't need to enclose the article, we all know all about it.
Hrant Dink was a good journalist, a man of honor, a good father and a peace keeper. He also was a Turkish citizen. him being Armenian origined doesn't matter.
Do you think we hate all the Armenians and get down to some Turkish haters level to hurt his soul??
Since you follow the trial, you must have followed his burial services and hundreds of thousands of Turkish people from all kinds of religious, cultural and political backgrounds mourning and protesting the ugly assassination of him.
If you think your question is going to provoke the nationalist and you will have your little fun, this time you are wrong, Missy since even our nationalists in this site should be aware the fact that he is an honorable journalist and his words were manipulated by provocateurs ( sounds familiar?? )
You picked the wrong guy to use for your dark purposes .
May he rest in peace and may God give patience to bear his loss to his family.
2007-07-09 13:00:56 · answer #4 · answered by Ipek K 7 · 18⤊ 7⤋
I would say the same that O.CETIN BAYRAMOGLU already stated; that Hrant Dik said that betrayal was a mistake. but armenians never want to talk about this issue. are you brave enough to explain dear Dink' words?
he was a good journalist and a Turkish citizen
there is no need to repeat the same words that tramp, O.CETIN BAYRAMOGLU and İpek K said
2007-07-09 21:15:50 · answer #5 · answered by єуℓüℓ 4 · 7⤊ 6⤋
Journalists are being killed worldwide. Murder shouldn't be used as a form of censorship. That murderer was a radical nationalist and what he did was a crime. You shouldn't imply that all Turks wanted him dead.
Dink himself thought of Turkey as his home and in an interview about an article where he was purported to have written that Turkish blood is "poisonous" this was his reply:
==
"I don't think I could live with an identity of having insulted them [Turks] in this country... if I am unable to come up with a POSITIVE result, it will be honourable for me to leave this country,".
==
He (Dink) in fact wanted to improve relations between the Armenians and the Turks. These are excerpts from his last article. I capped some words for emphasis.
==
The judge had made a decision in the name of the "Turkish nation" and had it legally registered that I had "denigrated Turkishness." I could have coped with anything BUT this.
In my understanding, the denigration of a person on the basis of any difference - ethnic or religious - is RACISM, and there was no way this could ever be forgiven...
Those who tried to single me out and weaken me have succeeded. With the false information they oozed into society, they created a significant segment of the population who view Hrant Dink as someone who "insults Turkishness".
What is truly threatening and unbearable for me is the psychological torture I place myself in. The question that really gets to me, is: 'What are these people thinking about me?'
Unfortunately I am now better-known than before and I feel people looking at me, thinking: 'Oh, look, isn't he that Armenian guy?'
"We stayed in Turkey because that was what WE WANTED - and out of RESPECT for the thousands of people here who supported me in my fight for democracy...
I am now applying to the European Court of Human Rights. I don't know how long the case will take, but what I do know is that I will continue living here in Turkey until the case is finalised.
And if the court rules in my favour I will be very HAPPY and will never have to leave MY country.
2007 will probably be an even harder year for me. The court cases will continue, new ones will be initiated and God knows what kind of additional injustices I will have to face.
I may see myself as frightened as a pigeon, but I KNOW that in THIS country people do NOT touch pigeons.
Pigeons can live in cities, even in crowds. A little scared perhaps, but FREE".
==
With that being said, Why can't you do the same instead of flaunting this article here for what? To show people how pitiful the plight of Armenians during World War I are and how your voice was stiffled? Mind you there are lots of races in the world in more dire situations such as Sudan. Why don't you pick up where Dink left? Trying to create peace without being so "at your face" about things?
Personally, I don't think Dink would want his name being used as an instrument by Armenians to provoke more discord if not animosity between the two races.
2007-07-10 03:06:50 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 8⤋
All ermeni diaspora hated him and now you are even using his death for your propaganda.We all hate the people stands behind the dark even those are Türk.We watched him so many times in TV progammes and most of us didnt have any hatred to him.But if man is man why dont you remember the Türk Diplomats who have been murdered by ERMENİ TERROR ORG. ASALA.Your attitudes are so inappropriate.If you really wanna take Türks attention you must show a balance in your writings.We dont care about one-sided accusations
2007-07-09 19:35:50 · answer #7 · answered by tramp 3 · 9⤊ 8⤋
whether you have freedom of speech or not it just goes to prove that spreading hate and provocation is bad for the health.
2007-07-13 21:25:21 · answer #8 · answered by Slick Rick 4 · 3⤊ 4⤋
He was assassinated by the Turkish state. Look at this picture of Turkish police smiling with the killers under the Turkish flag. Tell me what do you think.
http://www.radikal.com.tr/haber.php?haberno=211902
They tried prosecuting him 3 times to repress him yet still they couldn't hide the truth so they kill him
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hrant_Dink#Prosecution_for_denigrating_Turkishness
2007-07-10 20:38:19 · answer #9 · answered by colors 1 · 3⤊ 8⤋
I think he was a nice and modern person unlike some Armenians I see on YA.
2007-07-10 06:12:11 · answer #10 · answered by habisce 6 · 7⤊ 7⤋