Lawyers Reject Negligence Accusation In Hrant Dink Murder Case

Lawyers of the Dink family in Hrant Dink’s murder case insist that not only Colonel Ali Öz, Captain Metin Yıldız and four other gendarmerie officials from Trabzon Gendarmerie, but all of the officials who could not prevent te murder should be prosecuted.

Erol Önderoğlu

Asserting that it was not enough to grant permission for the investigation of Colonel Ali Öz, Trabzon’s Gendarmerie Regiment Commander at the time of the murder, lawyers of the Dink family demand prosecution of all of the police and gendarmerie officials who could not prevent the murder.

Following the report prepared by the inspectors from the Ministry of Interior, Trabzon Provincial Administrative Council granted yesterday (July 21)the permission for the investigation of Colonel Ali Öz, Gendarmerie Intelligence Branch Chief Captain Metin Yıldız and four other gendarmerie officials.

Colonel Öz’s testimony yesterday (July 21) was not found convincing. According to the newspapers, although Öz’s reply to the question if he had a memory problem was negative, most of colonel’s answers were “I do not remember”.

Çetin: The negligence in Trabzon is not normal

Fethiye Çetin, one of Dink’s lawyers, said to NTV that the crime of those officials in Trabzon, where the murder was planned, was not a simple crime of negligence, but “gross negligence resulting in murder.”

“We emphasize that these officials cannot be held responsible for simple negligence, they should be tried for voluntary manslaughter, but they are still making it a breach of duty crime.”

Doğan: Akyürek should be prosecuted as well

According to lawyer Erdal Doğan, former Trabzon Police Chief Ramazan Akyürek and all of the police and gendarmerie officials who were on duty before the date of the murder, January 19, 2007, should be prosecuted.

Colonel Ali Öz, who finally appeared at Bursa’s Criminal Court of Peace for Hrant Dink’s murder investigation, answered most of the questions with “I do not know, I do not remember.”

Ali Öz was not convincing to the newspapers

Headlines from the national newspapers:

Akşam: I Will Remember When I Am Retired

Taraf: You Should Have Kept A Diary

Star: Like A Confession

Sabah: Let Us Remind You Mr. Ali

Evrensel: I Do Not Remember Your Highness

Cumhuriyet: Colonel Öz Did Not Remember Anything

Radikal: Öz Forgot Dink

Hürriyet: Colonel Surprised Us. I Do Not Remember

Zaman: I Do Not Remember Anything

Birgün: I Do Not Have A Memory Problem, But I forgot

Vatan: I Do Not Remember

Milliyet: Shocking Accusation To Colonel Öz

Yeni Şafak: Colonel Öz Does Not Remember (EÖ/EZÖ/TB)

Origin

BÄ°A News Center

Erol Önderoğlu

[email protected]

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A graduate of the French Language and Literature Department at İstanbul University. He has served as the Turkey representative for the international organization Reporters Without...

A graduate of the French Language and Literature Department at İstanbul University. He has served as the Turkey representative for the international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF), where he began as a reporter in 1996. Since 1999, he has worked at bianet, a project of the IPS Communication Foundation, as the coordinator of the Legal Support Desk, editor for freedom of expression, and editor-in-chief. He has authored more than 4,800 signed news articles and opinion pieces. He has also written for Bizim Gazete and the journal Güncel Hukuk. He currently prepares the Media Monitoring Reports at bianet.