Colonel Öz, 3 Gendarmerie Officers Arrested in Dink Investigation

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Four of the seven figures including then-Trabzon Gendarmerie Provincial Commander Colonel Ali Öz, who were detained as part of the investigation launched into the murder of Agos weekly Editor-in-Chief Hrant Dink and sent to court have been arrested.

Of the suspects Colonel Öz, gendarmerie intelligence officer noncommissioned officer Veysel Şahin, noncommissioned officers serving at the İstanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Commandership, Ecevit Emir serving at the Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Commandership, and Specialized Gendarme Adem Sarıgöl have been arrested.

They were arrested on the charges of “being member of a terror organization” and “attempting to annihilate the constitutional order”.

Osman Kırçalı, Önder Araz and Tefik Cantürk have been released. Cantürk has been released on probation and banned from leaving the country.

Procedures of Captain Metin Yıldız who served at the then Trabzon Gendarmerie Intelligence Bureau Directorship are continuing at the police station.

10 soldiers were arrested

In the previous days, İstanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Intelligence Bureau officer noncommissioned officer Abdullah Dinç, former sergeant major Yavuz Bozca, Trabzon Provincial Gendarmerie Intelligence Bureau officer Ergün Yorulmaz, gendarme noncommissioned officer Emre Cingöz, Volkan Şahin, Şeref Ateş, Okan Şimşek, Hüseyin Yılmaz, Gazi Günay and Albay Ali Barış Sevindik were arrested under the scope of the probe carried out by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecution.

The other 10 suspects were released on probation and on “ban of leaving the country”.

Colonel Ali Öz

Colonel Öz is being accused of not preventing the murder though he knew about it. In August of 2016, it is claimed that the gendarmerie officers who allegedly tracked Hrant Dink also came from Trabzon Gendarmerie Commandership, which was under the command of Öz.

Hüseyin Yılmaz detained under the scope of the Dink probe had stated that Captain Metin Yılmaz informed Ali Öz before Hrant Dink was murdered.

Trabzon trial

Trial was held against Colonel Öze by Trabzon 1st Heavy Penal Court and Trabzon 2nd Criminal Court of Peace.

Even though the criminal court of peace, hearing Öz and eight gendarmerie personnel demanded that the file be combined at Heavy Penal Court, Trabzon 1st Heavy Penal Court had rejected both the demand and the files at its hand.

Thereupon, the 2nd Criminal Court of Peace sentenced Ali Öz and Metin Yıldız to 6 months in prison; Hüseyin Yılmaz, Ömer Ünalır, Okan Şimşek and Veysel Şahin to 4 months in prison. Dink family’s attorneys appealed to decisions of the both courts. The Supreme Court reversed judgement of the Heavy Penal Court.

It wasn’t combined with the main trial

Dink family’s attorneys had demanded that the hearing held by Trabzon 1st Heavy Penal Court be combined with Dink murder main trial held by İstanbul 5th Heavy Penal Court. The court in Trabzon, approving the demand sent the file to the court in İstanbul on request to combine the files. İstanbul 5th Heavy Penal Court refused the request to combine the files. (EA/TK)