Two Defendants Released, Former Governor and Intelligence Officers to Testify

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The trial of the murder of journalist Hrant Dink has continued at the İstanbul 14th Heavy Penal Court.

90th hearing of the case has been held in the 25th week of hearings. Four of the 85 defendants were arrested in the case where public officers are being tried for negligence in the murder.

Announcing its interim judgment, the court ruled that former İstanbul Gendarmerie Team Commander Captain Muharrem Demirkale and Fox TV's former newsroom chief Ercan Gün shall be released.

The court also stated that 12 former public officials including then Governor of İstanbul Muammer Güler and officials from the National Security Organization (MIT) will testify in the next week of hearings.

The case has been adjourned to June 11, 12 and 13.

In the first two days of the three-day hearing, then İstanbul Security Directorate Anti Terror Branch Deputy Chair Celal Sel and then Security Directorate Intelligence Department Deputy Chair Vedat Yavuz testified.

Two arrested defendants left in the case

After hearing the parties' demands yesterday, the court announced its verdict today (March 14). It ruled for the release of former İstanbul Gendarmerie Team Commander Captain Muharrem Demirkale and Fox TV's former newsroom chief Ercan Gün.

Demirkale and Gül were previously sentenced to prison in another case for "membership of an armed terrorist organization." Hence they will continue to stay behind bars.

The Prosecutor's Office objected to the release of the two defendants.

With today's rulings, only 2 arrested defendants left in the case. The court ruled that the arrests of Security General Directorate Intelligence Department Chair Ramazan Akyürek and Intelligence Department Branch-C Manager Ali Fuat Yılmazer shall continue.

Former governor and officials to testify

The court announced that the following people will testify in the next week of the hearings: Adem Sağlam, Mustafa Kuletaş, Muammer Kırmacı, Emre Altuntaş from Trabzon province Anti Terror Branch, Recep Koçpınar, Muhammet Bulgur, Adem Polat from Trabzon Gendarmerie Command, then İstanbul Governor Muammer Güler, then İstanbul Deputy Governor Ergün Güngör, MIT İstanbul Regional Chair Hüseyin Kubilay Günay, Özel Yılmaz and Handan Selçuk from the MIT İstanbul Regional Directorate.

(HA/VK)