The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) submitted the proposal for a parliamentary investigation into the assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, then editor-in-chief of the Armenian Agos newspaper, on 18 January 2007. In case the proposal would be approved, the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) would investigate the murder.
Prosecutor: No progress in investigation
The prosecutors of the investigation into the "Cage Action Plan" put forward that investigation into the Dink murder did not include all the people and authorities who are to be held responsible for the incident.
The prosecutor's office referred to the so-called "Cage Action Plan" which included the Dink murder in 2007, the killing of Priest Andrea Santoro of the Saint Mary Catholic Church in Trabzon (eastern Black Sea coast) on 5 February 2006 and the murder of three employees of the Zirve Publishing company in Malatya (south-eastern Turkey) on 18 April 2007. These murders were part of the action plan as planned "operations". The prosecution stated that there "has not been any progress in the investigation" related to the Dink murder.
Permit for investigation into five police officers in Istanbul after three years
The Dink murder is subject to four applications made to the European Court of Human Rights. Nevertheless, the only people on trial for neglect of duty are eight gendarmerie officers in Trabzon.
Upon the preliminary report regarding mistakes and neglect of police officers in context with the Dink murder, the Istanbul Governorship Provincial Administration Board issued permission for investigations into İbrahim Pala, former Police supervisor of the Istanbul Police Directorate, chief inspectors Volkan Altınburak and İbrahim Şevki Eldivan and police officers Bahar Tekin and Özcan Özkan. This was announced on 13 April.
Small number of main suspects
The case in Istanbul will be continued on 10 May. Prime suspect Ogün Samast is tried as the alleged triggerman; Yasin Hayal and Erhan Tuncel stand accused of incitement to commit the crime. Hayal's brother Osman Hayal is the 20th defendant in the case and has not had his turn at court yet.
However, the people who are responsible for the murder and their connections have not been revealed yet as requested by Hrant Dink's widow Rakel Dink in a letter sent to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on 15 March 2007. (EÖ/VK)
