Lawyers Reject Negligence Accusation In Hrant Dink Murder Case
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)