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THREE YEARS SINCE HRANT DINK'S DEATH: INVESTIGATION AT STANDSTILL AND SUSPICION OF CONSPIRACY ABOUND
Tert.am
15:27 â~@¢ 19.01.10
Three years after Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was
fatally shot outside his office by an ultranationalist teenager, the
investigation into his murder has stalled as the suspected perpetrator
and his immediate accomplices have been put on trial, but those who
masterminded the plot to kill him still wait to be revealed, reports
Turkish news source Today's Zaman.
While the anniversary of Dink's murder is being commemorated today with
a series of ceremonies in Turkey and abroad, Dink's lawyers, domestic
and international rights organizations and activists express their
frustration that the murder investigation has not been progressing.
Not only that, but there is widespread suspicion among those concerned
with the Dink case that his murder was part of a wider conspiracy,
writes Sahin Alpay.
A report drafted by the Ä°stanbul Police Department suggested that
the killings of Catholic priest Andrea Santoro in Trabzon in February
2006, Hrant Dink in Ä°stanbul in January 2007 and three Christians in
Malatya three months later were part of a plan devised by Ergenekon,
a clandestine organization whose suspected members are currently on
trial, accused of creating chaos in the country to pave the way for
a military takeover.
Hrant Dink died three years ago, but as a co-founder of Agos, Arus
Yumul, head of the sociology department of Ä°stanbul Bilgi University,
told daily Taraf, "Hrant's death is not an end but a beginning." In
the three years that have elapsed, Turkey has come a long way toward
achieving the cause Hrant dedicated his life to.
Due in main part to debates triggered by Hrant's killing, Turkey
has become far more aware of the injustices inflicted upon not only
Armenians but all non-Muslim citizens, not only during the Ottoman
era but also in the Republican period. In the three years that have
passed, substantial progress has been made towards normalization
between the two countries and peoples Hrant loved.
In his piece, Alpay recalls Armenia's January 12 Constitutional Court
decision, and states that the next step is for the Protocols to be
reviewed by Armenia's and Turkey's foreign affairs committees prior
to being submitted for ratification.
Alpay continues: "It is expected that the Armenian parliament will
debate the protocols in March. Turkey seems to link the ratification
of the protocols to steps towards normalization of relations between
Azerbaijan and Armenia and the ending of Armenian occupation of
Azerbaijan territory.
"Ankara is expecting the Minsk Group and especially Russia to put
pressure on Armenia to move in that direction. It appears that the
Turkish-Armenian normalization process is currently stuck on that
point.
"There are, however, innumerable political and economic advantages
of normalization for both sides, and as long as the leaders on both
sides consider normalization to be in line with national interests,
there are grounds for a cautious optimism for the process to get
unstuck. It remains to be seen how this will come about."
To mark the third-year anniversary of Dink's death, a public ceremony
will take place in front of Agos newspaper in Å~^iÅ~_li, Istanbul,
on Tuesday afternoon.
Tert.am
15:27 â~@¢ 19.01.10
Three years after Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was
fatally shot outside his office by an ultranationalist teenager, the
investigation into his murder has stalled as the suspected perpetrator
and his immediate accomplices have been put on trial, but those who
masterminded the plot to kill him still wait to be revealed, reports
Turkish news source Today's Zaman.
While the anniversary of Dink's murder is being commemorated today with
a series of ceremonies in Turkey and abroad, Dink's lawyers, domestic
and international rights organizations and activists express their
frustration that the murder investigation has not been progressing.
Not only that, but there is widespread suspicion among those concerned
with the Dink case that his murder was part of a wider conspiracy,
writes Sahin Alpay.
A report drafted by the Ä°stanbul Police Department suggested that
the killings of Catholic priest Andrea Santoro in Trabzon in February
2006, Hrant Dink in Ä°stanbul in January 2007 and three Christians in
Malatya three months later were part of a plan devised by Ergenekon,
a clandestine organization whose suspected members are currently on
trial, accused of creating chaos in the country to pave the way for
a military takeover.
Hrant Dink died three years ago, but as a co-founder of Agos, Arus
Yumul, head of the sociology department of Ä°stanbul Bilgi University,
told daily Taraf, "Hrant's death is not an end but a beginning." In
the three years that have elapsed, Turkey has come a long way toward
achieving the cause Hrant dedicated his life to.
Due in main part to debates triggered by Hrant's killing, Turkey
has become far more aware of the injustices inflicted upon not only
Armenians but all non-Muslim citizens, not only during the Ottoman
era but also in the Republican period. In the three years that have
passed, substantial progress has been made towards normalization
between the two countries and peoples Hrant loved.
In his piece, Alpay recalls Armenia's January 12 Constitutional Court
decision, and states that the next step is for the Protocols to be
reviewed by Armenia's and Turkey's foreign affairs committees prior
to being submitted for ratification.
Alpay continues: "It is expected that the Armenian parliament will
debate the protocols in March. Turkey seems to link the ratification
of the protocols to steps towards normalization of relations between
Azerbaijan and Armenia and the ending of Armenian occupation of
Azerbaijan territory.
"Ankara is expecting the Minsk Group and especially Russia to put
pressure on Armenia to move in that direction. It appears that the
Turkish-Armenian normalization process is currently stuck on that
point.
"There are, however, innumerable political and economic advantages
of normalization for both sides, and as long as the leaders on both
sides consider normalization to be in line with national interests,
there are grounds for a cautious optimism for the process to get
unstuck. It remains to be seen how this will come about."
To mark the third-year anniversary of Dink's death, a public ceremony
will take place in front of Agos newspaper in Å~^iÅ~_li, Istanbul,
on Tuesday afternoon.