Dink Trial: What is in the Indictment?

Six months after journalist Hrant Dink's murder, the controversial indictment has been read: the investigation has concluded that the murder was planned in the Pelitli district of Trabzon (Black Sea region), that there were no organisers apart from a few young men and the gunman, and that those police and gendarmerie officers who "abused their authority or praised crime" were not involved in the murder.

Of those gendarmerie officers in Samsun who took souvenir photos with gunman O.S., only one is being tried for "leaking images to the press". The others will at the most be dealt with in a disciplinary investigation. There will be no prosecution. This decision was announced to the joint attorneys on 29 June.

On the other hand, Dink family lawyer Erdal Dogan is on trial for saying "Hrant was particularly worried about Veli Kücük getting involved in his trial". Veli Kücük, a retired brigadier general who is infamous in Turkey for his involvement in the "deep state", is said to have threatened Dink. There is no investigation against Veli Kücük.

The Dink family lawyers are objecting to the fact that the Istanbul prosecution has separated complaints against the police and gendarmerie officers in Trabzon and Samsun for "negligence and praising crime" from the Dink investigation and has sent the cases to the Trabzon and Samsun prosecution.

Ideological reasons

In the indictment, the McDonalds attack in Trabzon and the threat of Yasin Hayal against writer Orhan Pamuk are mentioned. The suspects are said to have acted according to a certain ideology, rejecting any perspectives which were not their own, using force and violence to punish people with such perspectives and aiming at spreading fear and worry".

The indictment calls for a life sentence for Erhan Tuncel for "organizing Dink's murder". In relation to the Trabzon McDonalds bombing of 2004, he is also accused of being a leader of an armed terrorist organization, producing explosives, throwing explosives, damaging property, causing the injury of six people. For these crimes, 22.5-48 years imprisonment is demanded.

Yasin Hayal is also accused of organizing Dink's murder, and a life sentence is demanded.

Gunman O.S. is accused of killing Dink, but because he is under 18, 18-24 years imprisonment is demanded.

The indictment also accuses two members of the Great Union Party (BBP), Halis Egemen and BBP Trabzon province chairperson Yasar Cihan, of being members of a terrorist organization. An imprisonment of up to 10 years is asked for.

Five other men, Zeynel Abidin Yavuz, Ersin Yolcu, Ahmet Iskender, Mustafa Ozturk and Tuncay Uzundal, are accused of involvement in the murder and life sentences are demanded.

Another man, Salih Hacisalihoglu, is accused of being a member of a terrorist organisation - 10 years demanded, and seven other men, Alper Esirgemez, Irfan Ozkan, Osman Alpay, Erbil Susaman, Numan Sisman, Senol Akduman and Veysel Toprak, are accused of helping a terrorist organisation and hiding a criminal, with six months to five years imprisonment being demanded. (EÖ/EÜ/AG)