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New Anatolian, Turkey
Feb 9 2007
Mutafyan: I've been threatened since Dink killing
The New Anatolian / Ankara
09 February 2007
Turkish-Armenian community head Patriarch Mesrob II Mutafyan
yesterday expressed growing concerns after last month's killing of
Armenian origin Turkish journalist Hrant Dink.
Mutafyan revealed that he has been receiving threats, which,
according to the police, are from the same sources who threatened
Dink, adding that the state appointed guards for him after last
year's murder of Catholic Priest Andrea Santoro in the northern
province of Trabzon.
Mesrob underlined that the killing of Dink seems to continue to
occupy a significant place in both domestic and world politics.
"It would certainly be a very optimistic view to deny the security
concerns of the Armenian community in Turkey, but until the Dink
assassination, no Armenian had been subjected to a serious attack for
years," Mesrob said.
On his concerns following the latest developments, he said that
Turkish Armenians fear being seen as potential domestic enemies in
the European Union process, which has swelled extremist nationalist
feelings.
He also added that he is opposed to attempts to cut dialogue between
the Turkish and Armenian people.
Regarding the developments following Dink's murder, he said that the
members of the public, both Turkish or Armenian, expect to see the
perpetrators of the killing and those who incited the murder behind
bars.
"We are deeply concerned about the confrontation between different
sectors of society after the killing," said the patriarch.
"The slogans at the funeral saying 'We're all Hrant, we're all
Armenians,' should not be linked to the Armenian community," he said,
but added that he views criticism of the slogans as unhelpful, given
that these were a manifestation of sentiments after the killing, not
attempts to spark a clash regarding ethnic identities.
He declined to comment on the investigation process, but reiterated
his wish to learn who or which circles incited the murder. Mesrob
also called on state authorities to take necessary measures to put an
end to unwanted social developments greatly upsetting the community.
Dink's autopsy completed
In related news, the murdered journalist's autopsy report had been
completed and sent to the Sisli Public Prosecutor's Office.
The reports said that Dink was shot twice in the head at short range
by one person.
It was also reported yesterday that Yasin Hayal, the alleged second
man behind the Dink murder who provided the murder weapon and money
to gunman Ogun Samast, claimed he learned that Erhan Tuncel, the
third man alleged to have engineered the attack, was a police
informant, from the press.
Hayal, commenting on reports of Tuncel being an informant, during his
testimony given at an F-type prison in the western city of Tekirdag,
said, "If I knew that, I would have killed him."
Ex-convict Hayal on Wednesday claimed that Tuncel gave him the bomb
for a McDonald's attack in Trabzon in 2004.
The prison administration also said that Hayal regularly follows
newspaper reports and that he has reclaimed a Koran seized by police
when he was detained.
Another suspect, Tuncay Uzundal, also a housemate of Tuncel, was
quoted as saying in his testimony that he has doubts as to whether
Tuncel incited the murder.
Feb 9 2007
Mutafyan: I've been threatened since Dink killing
The New Anatolian / Ankara
09 February 2007
Turkish-Armenian community head Patriarch Mesrob II Mutafyan
yesterday expressed growing concerns after last month's killing of
Armenian origin Turkish journalist Hrant Dink.
Mutafyan revealed that he has been receiving threats, which,
according to the police, are from the same sources who threatened
Dink, adding that the state appointed guards for him after last
year's murder of Catholic Priest Andrea Santoro in the northern
province of Trabzon.
Mesrob underlined that the killing of Dink seems to continue to
occupy a significant place in both domestic and world politics.
"It would certainly be a very optimistic view to deny the security
concerns of the Armenian community in Turkey, but until the Dink
assassination, no Armenian had been subjected to a serious attack for
years," Mesrob said.
On his concerns following the latest developments, he said that
Turkish Armenians fear being seen as potential domestic enemies in
the European Union process, which has swelled extremist nationalist
feelings.
He also added that he is opposed to attempts to cut dialogue between
the Turkish and Armenian people.
Regarding the developments following Dink's murder, he said that the
members of the public, both Turkish or Armenian, expect to see the
perpetrators of the killing and those who incited the murder behind
bars.
"We are deeply concerned about the confrontation between different
sectors of society after the killing," said the patriarch.
"The slogans at the funeral saying 'We're all Hrant, we're all
Armenians,' should not be linked to the Armenian community," he said,
but added that he views criticism of the slogans as unhelpful, given
that these were a manifestation of sentiments after the killing, not
attempts to spark a clash regarding ethnic identities.
He declined to comment on the investigation process, but reiterated
his wish to learn who or which circles incited the murder. Mesrob
also called on state authorities to take necessary measures to put an
end to unwanted social developments greatly upsetting the community.
Dink's autopsy completed
In related news, the murdered journalist's autopsy report had been
completed and sent to the Sisli Public Prosecutor's Office.
The reports said that Dink was shot twice in the head at short range
by one person.
It was also reported yesterday that Yasin Hayal, the alleged second
man behind the Dink murder who provided the murder weapon and money
to gunman Ogun Samast, claimed he learned that Erhan Tuncel, the
third man alleged to have engineered the attack, was a police
informant, from the press.
Hayal, commenting on reports of Tuncel being an informant, during his
testimony given at an F-type prison in the western city of Tekirdag,
said, "If I knew that, I would have killed him."
Ex-convict Hayal on Wednesday claimed that Tuncel gave him the bomb
for a McDonald's attack in Trabzon in 2004.
The prison administration also said that Hayal regularly follows
newspaper reports and that he has reclaimed a Koran seized by police
when he was detained.
Another suspect, Tuncay Uzundal, also a housemate of Tuncel, was
quoted as saying in his testimony that he has doubts as to whether
Tuncel incited the murder.