TURKISH PRESIDENT TO 'TAKE ACTION' ON DINK CASE
by Asbare
Thursday, January 27th, 2011
ANKARA (Hurriyet Daily News)--Turkish President Abdullah Gul has
revealed plans to take action in the controversial Hrant Dink murder
case upon his return to Turkey, telling reporters in Strasbourg that
he plans on ordering further investigations into the stalled case.
Dink, a Turkish journalist of Armenian origin who wrote on subjects
that included the denial of the Armenian Genocide by Turkey and
the reconciliation between Armenians and Turks, was murdered four
years ago.
The Dink family recently made a new plea that police and gendarmerie
officials not questioned during the investigation be brought into the
scope of the investigation, given a recent European Court of Human
Rights decision that found Turkey guilty of both failing to protect
Dink and his freedom of speech and not properly investigating civil
servants suspected of being involved in the murder.
Gul said he was ashamed that the Turkish government was not able to
protect one of its citizens and that the system in place in Turkey
had proven to be "deeply troubling" given that the Dink case remains
unsolved after four years.
Gul said he planned to instruct the State Audit Board (DDK) to further
investigate the Dink case and bring to light what remains hidden.
Leaving the murder unsolved would be a "stain" on the country's
history and raise concerns regarding the judiciary process, he said,
adding that solving the case with a determined approach would prevent
similar incidents from happening in the future.
The DDK recently called for a new investigation into a 2009
helicopter crash that killed a right-wing political party leader,
Muhsin Yazıcıoglu, after it found serious flaws in the Turkish
state's response to the incident.
Meanwhile, opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal
Kılıcdaroglu said Gul's announcement could finally allow the
investigation to reveal the truth behind the murder.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) "conceals evidence,
instead of revealing it. We know that those who hide evidence are
elevated to high positions. It is a great development that the
president is stepping in. Maybe the public can finally learn the
facts that have been hidden," Kılıcdaroglu said.
From: A. Papazian
by Asbare
Thursday, January 27th, 2011
ANKARA (Hurriyet Daily News)--Turkish President Abdullah Gul has
revealed plans to take action in the controversial Hrant Dink murder
case upon his return to Turkey, telling reporters in Strasbourg that
he plans on ordering further investigations into the stalled case.
Dink, a Turkish journalist of Armenian origin who wrote on subjects
that included the denial of the Armenian Genocide by Turkey and
the reconciliation between Armenians and Turks, was murdered four
years ago.
The Dink family recently made a new plea that police and gendarmerie
officials not questioned during the investigation be brought into the
scope of the investigation, given a recent European Court of Human
Rights decision that found Turkey guilty of both failing to protect
Dink and his freedom of speech and not properly investigating civil
servants suspected of being involved in the murder.
Gul said he was ashamed that the Turkish government was not able to
protect one of its citizens and that the system in place in Turkey
had proven to be "deeply troubling" given that the Dink case remains
unsolved after four years.
Gul said he planned to instruct the State Audit Board (DDK) to further
investigate the Dink case and bring to light what remains hidden.
Leaving the murder unsolved would be a "stain" on the country's
history and raise concerns regarding the judiciary process, he said,
adding that solving the case with a determined approach would prevent
similar incidents from happening in the future.
The DDK recently called for a new investigation into a 2009
helicopter crash that killed a right-wing political party leader,
Muhsin Yazıcıoglu, after it found serious flaws in the Turkish
state's response to the incident.
Meanwhile, opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal
Kılıcdaroglu said Gul's announcement could finally allow the
investigation to reveal the truth behind the murder.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) "conceals evidence,
instead of revealing it. We know that those who hide evidence are
elevated to high positions. It is a great development that the
president is stepping in. Maybe the public can finally learn the
facts that have been hidden," Kılıcdaroglu said.
From: A. Papazian