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TURKISH OFFICIALS IGNORED DINK MURDER PLOT -REPORT
By Jonathon Burch
Reuters
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/turkish-officials-ignored-dink-murder-plot--report
Feb 21 2012
* Report on journalist death commissioned by president
* Says officials should be tried for negligence
* Rights groups had long criticised Turkey over murder (Adds quotes,
background)
ANKARA, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Turkish state officials failed to protect
prominent Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, murdered in 2007,
despite knowing of the plot to kill him, a report commissioned by
the president has concluded.
President Abdullah Gul ordered Turkey's State Supervisory Council
(DDK) to investigate the case after accusations from Dink's
family, lawyers and rights groups that state officials had been
complicit in the murder.
The investigation into the murder of Dink, former editor of the
bilingual Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos and Turkey's best known
Armenian voice abroad, was viewed as a test of democracy and human
rights in European Union candidate Turkey.
In a 650-page report, the conclusion of which was posted on the
president's website late on Monday, the DDK said security forces
failed to act on tip-offs about a plan to murder Dink and called for
the negligent officials to be investigated and tried.
Last month, an Istanbul court sentenced a man to life in prison for
involvement in Dink's murder but acquitted 17 other defendants,
sparking large protests and criticism from rights groups.
A juvenile court had already sentenced Dink's assassin, Ogun
Samast, to 22 years and 10 months in jail last July. He was 17 when
the killing took place.
Many Turks believe Dink was the target of arch nationalists because
of articles he wrote about Armenian identity and references he made
to a Turkish "genocide" of Christian Armenians in 1915 - an accusation
Turkey strenuously denies.
STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS
The report said the failure to prevent Dink's murder showed the
need for reforms to the security system.
"The first issue to be expressed regarding the failure to protect
Hrant Dink's right to life is that some structural problems exist
within the security sector ... regarding the collection and evaluation
of intelligence and providing public and personal security," the DDK
said in the report.
"It is essential first to look at the need for reform on the matter
and a number of problems in institutional structures and practices,"
it said.
Public confidence in the judicial system had been undermined by the
way the case had been handled, it added.
"On the one hand, a result to a case that does not satisfy the public
conscience has emerged and, on the other hand, the credibility of all
the public institutions has been brought into question," the DDK said
in the report.
In 2010, the European Court of Human Rights ordered Turkish authorities
to pay 100,000 euros ($132,600) to Dink's family in compensation,
saying authorities had failed to protect Dink even though they knew
ultra-nationalists were plotting to kill him.
Seven security officials have already been convicted for failing to
relay information on the plot that could have prevented the murder.
In a statement ahead of last month's verdict, Amnesty
International said authorities had still not investigated the full
circumstances behind Dink's murder.
Dink had been repeatedly prosecuted for insulting "Turkishness" under
the infamous article 301 of the penal code, which was later amended to
placate EU criticism that Turkey was violating freedom of expression.
Armenia, backed by many historians and parliaments, says 1.5 million
Christian Armenians were killed in what is now eastern Turkey during
World War One in a deliberate policy of genocide ordered by the
Ottoman government.
Ankara denies the killings constitute genocide and says many Muslim
Turks and Kurds were also put to death as Russian troops invaded
eastern Anatolia, often aided by Armenian militias. (Writing by
Jonathon Burch; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
From: A. Papazian
By Jonathon Burch
Reuters
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/turkish-officials-ignored-dink-murder-plot--report
Feb 21 2012
* Report on journalist death commissioned by president
* Says officials should be tried for negligence
* Rights groups had long criticised Turkey over murder (Adds quotes,
background)
ANKARA, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Turkish state officials failed to protect
prominent Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, murdered in 2007,
despite knowing of the plot to kill him, a report commissioned by
the president has concluded.
President Abdullah Gul ordered Turkey's State Supervisory Council
(DDK) to investigate the case after accusations from Dink's
family, lawyers and rights groups that state officials had been
complicit in the murder.
The investigation into the murder of Dink, former editor of the
bilingual Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos and Turkey's best known
Armenian voice abroad, was viewed as a test of democracy and human
rights in European Union candidate Turkey.
In a 650-page report, the conclusion of which was posted on the
president's website late on Monday, the DDK said security forces
failed to act on tip-offs about a plan to murder Dink and called for
the negligent officials to be investigated and tried.
Last month, an Istanbul court sentenced a man to life in prison for
involvement in Dink's murder but acquitted 17 other defendants,
sparking large protests and criticism from rights groups.
A juvenile court had already sentenced Dink's assassin, Ogun
Samast, to 22 years and 10 months in jail last July. He was 17 when
the killing took place.
Many Turks believe Dink was the target of arch nationalists because
of articles he wrote about Armenian identity and references he made
to a Turkish "genocide" of Christian Armenians in 1915 - an accusation
Turkey strenuously denies.
STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS
The report said the failure to prevent Dink's murder showed the
need for reforms to the security system.
"The first issue to be expressed regarding the failure to protect
Hrant Dink's right to life is that some structural problems exist
within the security sector ... regarding the collection and evaluation
of intelligence and providing public and personal security," the DDK
said in the report.
"It is essential first to look at the need for reform on the matter
and a number of problems in institutional structures and practices,"
it said.
Public confidence in the judicial system had been undermined by the
way the case had been handled, it added.
"On the one hand, a result to a case that does not satisfy the public
conscience has emerged and, on the other hand, the credibility of all
the public institutions has been brought into question," the DDK said
in the report.
In 2010, the European Court of Human Rights ordered Turkish authorities
to pay 100,000 euros ($132,600) to Dink's family in compensation,
saying authorities had failed to protect Dink even though they knew
ultra-nationalists were plotting to kill him.
Seven security officials have already been convicted for failing to
relay information on the plot that could have prevented the murder.
In a statement ahead of last month's verdict, Amnesty
International said authorities had still not investigated the full
circumstances behind Dink's murder.
Dink had been repeatedly prosecuted for insulting "Turkishness" under
the infamous article 301 of the penal code, which was later amended to
placate EU criticism that Turkey was violating freedom of expression.
Armenia, backed by many historians and parliaments, says 1.5 million
Christian Armenians were killed in what is now eastern Turkey during
World War One in a deliberate policy of genocide ordered by the
Ottoman government.
Ankara denies the killings constitute genocide and says many Muslim
Turks and Kurds were also put to death as Russian troops invaded
eastern Anatolia, often aided by Armenian militias. (Writing by
Jonathon Burch; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
From: A. Papazian