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"NO CONNECTIONS BETWEEN DINK MURDER AND ERGENEKON"
BIAnet.org
Aug 23, 2011
Turkey
After having reviewed information from the police, the prosecutor
of the murder trial related to the assassination of Turkish-Armenian
journalist Dink apparently did not find any connections between the
Dink murder and defendants of the Ergenekon trial.
Istanbul - BÄ°A News Center23 August 2011, Tuesday According to
various Turkish dailies and news sources, Hikmet Usta, the prosecutor
in charge of the Hrant Dink murder trial, did not find any connections
between the journalist murder and the Ergenekon trial. Usta reached
this conclusion after having obtained information from the police. On
the other hand, Fırat News Agency quoted an unidentified witness as
saying "The Istanbul Police brought Ogün Samast to Samsun".
Samast was sentenced to imprisonment of almost 23 years this July for
the killing of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink on 19 January
2007. The Dink family lawyers initially requested the acquisition of
the Ergenekon case file in 2009. Ergenekon is a clandestine terrorist
organization charged with various crimes against non-Muslim minorities
staged for the ultimate purpose of triggering a military coup.
Special Authority Public Prosecutor Usta had asked the Istanbul police
in writing whether there were any connections between the defendants
of the Dink murder trial and the Ergenekon case. Usta reportedly
received a negative answer and is going to include that into his final
plea. As reported by Helin Å~^ahin from Star newspapers and several
other media outlets, in Usta's opinion the Dink murder was not part
of the Ergenekon actions since he did not find concrete documents or
connections. The prosecutor's final plea is expected for the coming
hearing of the Dink murder trial on 25 October.
The Istanbul Police stated that Ergenekon defendants talked on the
phone to some members of the 'Alperen Ocakları' in Trabzon. The
'Alperen' group follows a synthesis between nationalism and Islamism.
Brigadier General Veli Küçük, lawyers Kemal Kerinçsiz and Levent
Temiz, ret. Colonel Levent GöktaÅ~_, Commander Erbay Ã~GolakoÄ~_lu
and ret.
Captain Muzaffer Tekin were alleged to have connections to the
defendants of the Dink case. However, the Istanbul Police pointed out
that no direct telephone conversations had been registered between
these Ergenekon defendants and the people involved in the Dink murder.
It was emphasized in the police report that not all transcriptions of
the telephone conversations could be acquired. It was also highlighted
that looking backwards the contents of the phone talks could not
be determined. The Dink assassination was seen as an "operation"
of the Cage Action Plan, a coup plan supposedly worked out by the
Naval Forces targeting Non-Muslims. Furthermore it was said that the
journalist's name was included on the death lists in the documents
of the Sledgehammer trial related to a coup allegedly plotted by the
Armed Forces.
"He came with plainclothes policemen" At the same time, a senior
military official from the Samsun Provincial Gendarmerie Command who
preferred to remain anonymous apparently made the following statement
to Fırat News Agency: "When Ogün Samast got on the bus after the
murder, plainclothes police officers were sitting in front, behind
and next to him. His every step was followed from Istanbul onwards".
The witness recalled that Ogün's bus to Trabzon stopped at the new
bus station of Samsun (Black Sea coast) on the way and added that the
security of the area of the bus station lies within the responsibility
of the Provincial Gendarmerie Command since it is located outside
the city. "When the bus had stopped and opened the doors, personnel
from the Samsun Provincial Gendarmerie Command entered the bus and
arrested the person on subject from the spot. They knew which seat
he had taken" the witness said.
According to the statement of the witness, the Istanbul Police did
not arrest Samast in order not to take over the responsibility for the
murder. Instead, they wanted him to go to Samsun under surveillance,
the witness claimed.
BIAnet.org
Aug 23, 2011
Turkey
After having reviewed information from the police, the prosecutor
of the murder trial related to the assassination of Turkish-Armenian
journalist Dink apparently did not find any connections between the
Dink murder and defendants of the Ergenekon trial.
Istanbul - BÄ°A News Center23 August 2011, Tuesday According to
various Turkish dailies and news sources, Hikmet Usta, the prosecutor
in charge of the Hrant Dink murder trial, did not find any connections
between the journalist murder and the Ergenekon trial. Usta reached
this conclusion after having obtained information from the police. On
the other hand, Fırat News Agency quoted an unidentified witness as
saying "The Istanbul Police brought Ogün Samast to Samsun".
Samast was sentenced to imprisonment of almost 23 years this July for
the killing of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink on 19 January
2007. The Dink family lawyers initially requested the acquisition of
the Ergenekon case file in 2009. Ergenekon is a clandestine terrorist
organization charged with various crimes against non-Muslim minorities
staged for the ultimate purpose of triggering a military coup.
Special Authority Public Prosecutor Usta had asked the Istanbul police
in writing whether there were any connections between the defendants
of the Dink murder trial and the Ergenekon case. Usta reportedly
received a negative answer and is going to include that into his final
plea. As reported by Helin Å~^ahin from Star newspapers and several
other media outlets, in Usta's opinion the Dink murder was not part
of the Ergenekon actions since he did not find concrete documents or
connections. The prosecutor's final plea is expected for the coming
hearing of the Dink murder trial on 25 October.
The Istanbul Police stated that Ergenekon defendants talked on the
phone to some members of the 'Alperen Ocakları' in Trabzon. The
'Alperen' group follows a synthesis between nationalism and Islamism.
Brigadier General Veli Küçük, lawyers Kemal Kerinçsiz and Levent
Temiz, ret. Colonel Levent GöktaÅ~_, Commander Erbay Ã~GolakoÄ~_lu
and ret.
Captain Muzaffer Tekin were alleged to have connections to the
defendants of the Dink case. However, the Istanbul Police pointed out
that no direct telephone conversations had been registered between
these Ergenekon defendants and the people involved in the Dink murder.
It was emphasized in the police report that not all transcriptions of
the telephone conversations could be acquired. It was also highlighted
that looking backwards the contents of the phone talks could not
be determined. The Dink assassination was seen as an "operation"
of the Cage Action Plan, a coup plan supposedly worked out by the
Naval Forces targeting Non-Muslims. Furthermore it was said that the
journalist's name was included on the death lists in the documents
of the Sledgehammer trial related to a coup allegedly plotted by the
Armed Forces.
"He came with plainclothes policemen" At the same time, a senior
military official from the Samsun Provincial Gendarmerie Command who
preferred to remain anonymous apparently made the following statement
to Fırat News Agency: "When Ogün Samast got on the bus after the
murder, plainclothes police officers were sitting in front, behind
and next to him. His every step was followed from Istanbul onwards".
The witness recalled that Ogün's bus to Trabzon stopped at the new
bus station of Samsun (Black Sea coast) on the way and added that the
security of the area of the bus station lies within the responsibility
of the Provincial Gendarmerie Command since it is located outside
the city. "When the bus had stopped and opened the doors, personnel
from the Samsun Provincial Gendarmerie Command entered the bus and
arrested the person on subject from the spot. They knew which seat
he had taken" the witness said.
According to the statement of the witness, the Istanbul Police did
not arrest Samast in order not to take over the responsibility for the
murder. Instead, they wanted him to go to Samsun under surveillance,
the witness claimed.