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JOURNALIST ARSLAN RECEIVES BULLETS, THREATENING CALLS OVER NEW BOOK
Today's Zaman
Jan 27 2011
Turkey
Journalist Adem Yavuz Arslan received a package containing four
Kalashnikov bullets and a white beret, similar to the one that Dink's
assassin was wearing on the day of the murder.
Journalist Adem Yavuz Arslan, the author of a book that seeks to shed
light on some of the shady aspects of the murder of Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink, has said the death threats he has been
receiving lately prove that his book is telling the "truth" about
the Dink murder.
On Wednesday, Arslan received a package containing four Kalashnikov
bullets and a white beret, similar to the one that Dink's assassin
was wearing on the day of the murder. In addition, he said he has
been receiving threatening phone calls from unidentified sources
since his book first hit the shelves.
The package was sent to Arslan's office. He is both a columnist and
the Ankara representative for the Bugun daily. Police officers from
the counter-terrorism department examined the parcel. The examination
revealed that it was sent from the Yerköy district of Yozgat province.
An investigation is still under way into the incident.
Arslan also said the packet contains a "direct message" for him. "The
senders of the bullets are implying that I will get killed like Dink,"
he noted.
The journalist has recently dominated the agenda with his new book,
"Bi Ermeni Var: Dink Operasyonunun Å~^ifreleri" (There's this Armenian:
The Codes of the Dink Operation), which puts forward new evidence
indicating that the murder of Dink had been masterminded from the
start by dark forces.
Dink was shot dead by a nationalist teenager in broad daylight in
front of his office in 2007. Dink's assassin was captured, but the
real plotters of the murder have yet to be captured.
According to Arslan, the threats have come to prove that his book is
telling the truth behind Dink's assassination. "The bullets and the
white beret show that I am being targeted because of my new book. Now
I see that my book is really shedding light on the murder. I see that
I am on the right track. Otherwise, some would not be so disturbed,"
he stated.
In his book, the journalist expresses the belief that the Dink murder
was not committed just by a few ultranationalists. Rather, that it was
carefully planned in minute detail from the start as part of a shady
plan to create chaos in the country. Arslan also believes that the
investigation should start from scratch in light of the new evidence
he provides in his book.
Arslan's book also details many connections between members of
Ergenekon -- a clandestine gang with members nested within the
state hierarchy whose members are currently on trial for attempting
to overthrow the government by force. Ergenekon is accused of being
behind many atrocious crimes and plots that sought to create chaos
in Turkey, which they hoped would trigger a military takeover.
However, the journalist is not hopeful that the sender of the
bullet-filled package will get caught. "Police sources said the sender
used a fake name when sending the package. This means it will be very
hard to find the sender. The cargo bureau from where the package was
sent does not have security cameras. I believe that this is not the
work of an amateur."
Arslan also said he asked police to provide security assistance for
him and his family. "This is really bothersome. Suppose that you
are working to shed light on the murder of a journalist and you are
subjected to remorseless criticism from your colleagues. Then you
receive death threats. They are sending you bullets and a white beret.
I am clever enough to understand the message here," he stated.
Nevertheless, the journalist defied the threats, saying: "Only God
will take my life away. I believe that death is one and it cannot be
changed. If the state that failed to protect Dink will not manage to
protect me, then I have nothing to say."
Currently there are 20 suspects in the Dink murder case, eight of whom
are under arrest. Following Dink's murder, numerous reports suggested
that the police had been tipped off about the planned assassination
more than once before his murder but had failed to prevent it. Some
gendarmes later confirmed that they had been tipped off about the
plot to kill Dink before the murder was committed. Two gendarmes are
currently standing trial for having ignored warnings about the plot
against Dink.
More from Arslan's book The title of Arslan's book comes from the
testimony of Ogun Samast, the self-confessed murderer of Dink,
in a court. According to Samast, one day when he was hanging out
at a local Internet café playing games, his friend Hayal -- who
is now accused of inciting him to murder -- came up and told him:
"There's this Armenian. You should kill him."
The book provides new evidence that confirms links that were suspected
earlier between key Ergenekon suspect Veli Kucuk, a retired general,
and Col. Ali Oz, who was gendarmerie regiment commander in Trabzon --
the hometown of hitman Samast and other suspects in the trial and
the city where the plot to assassinate Dink was hatched.
A prosecutor filed a lawsuit in 2008 against Oz and six soldiers,
demanding up to two years of imprisonment for dereliction of duty in
the Hrant Dink murder case. The men are being accused of ignoring
tips from various sources about the plot being hatched during the
run-up to the murder. No convictions have yet been made in that trial.
Kucuk had also threatened Dink when he was still alive due to his
articles and writings. According to different accounts from various
members of the Dink family, Kucuk and ultranationalist lawyer Kemal
Kerincsiz -- also a suspect in the Ergenekon case -- had threatened
Dink. The journalist's brother, Orhan Dink, remembers that his brother
was highly unnerved by the involvement of Kerincsiz and Kucuk.
Arslan also points to various shortcomings that he spotted in the
investigation. He asserts in his book that Dink's murder was a stage
in a larger plan to launch an anti-Christian campaign and stir up
ultranationalist sentiment.
From: A. Papazian
Today's Zaman
Jan 27 2011
Turkey
Journalist Adem Yavuz Arslan received a package containing four
Kalashnikov bullets and a white beret, similar to the one that Dink's
assassin was wearing on the day of the murder.
Journalist Adem Yavuz Arslan, the author of a book that seeks to shed
light on some of the shady aspects of the murder of Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink, has said the death threats he has been
receiving lately prove that his book is telling the "truth" about
the Dink murder.
On Wednesday, Arslan received a package containing four Kalashnikov
bullets and a white beret, similar to the one that Dink's assassin
was wearing on the day of the murder. In addition, he said he has
been receiving threatening phone calls from unidentified sources
since his book first hit the shelves.
The package was sent to Arslan's office. He is both a columnist and
the Ankara representative for the Bugun daily. Police officers from
the counter-terrorism department examined the parcel. The examination
revealed that it was sent from the Yerköy district of Yozgat province.
An investigation is still under way into the incident.
Arslan also said the packet contains a "direct message" for him. "The
senders of the bullets are implying that I will get killed like Dink,"
he noted.
The journalist has recently dominated the agenda with his new book,
"Bi Ermeni Var: Dink Operasyonunun Å~^ifreleri" (There's this Armenian:
The Codes of the Dink Operation), which puts forward new evidence
indicating that the murder of Dink had been masterminded from the
start by dark forces.
Dink was shot dead by a nationalist teenager in broad daylight in
front of his office in 2007. Dink's assassin was captured, but the
real plotters of the murder have yet to be captured.
According to Arslan, the threats have come to prove that his book is
telling the truth behind Dink's assassination. "The bullets and the
white beret show that I am being targeted because of my new book. Now
I see that my book is really shedding light on the murder. I see that
I am on the right track. Otherwise, some would not be so disturbed,"
he stated.
In his book, the journalist expresses the belief that the Dink murder
was not committed just by a few ultranationalists. Rather, that it was
carefully planned in minute detail from the start as part of a shady
plan to create chaos in the country. Arslan also believes that the
investigation should start from scratch in light of the new evidence
he provides in his book.
Arslan's book also details many connections between members of
Ergenekon -- a clandestine gang with members nested within the
state hierarchy whose members are currently on trial for attempting
to overthrow the government by force. Ergenekon is accused of being
behind many atrocious crimes and plots that sought to create chaos
in Turkey, which they hoped would trigger a military takeover.
However, the journalist is not hopeful that the sender of the
bullet-filled package will get caught. "Police sources said the sender
used a fake name when sending the package. This means it will be very
hard to find the sender. The cargo bureau from where the package was
sent does not have security cameras. I believe that this is not the
work of an amateur."
Arslan also said he asked police to provide security assistance for
him and his family. "This is really bothersome. Suppose that you
are working to shed light on the murder of a journalist and you are
subjected to remorseless criticism from your colleagues. Then you
receive death threats. They are sending you bullets and a white beret.
I am clever enough to understand the message here," he stated.
Nevertheless, the journalist defied the threats, saying: "Only God
will take my life away. I believe that death is one and it cannot be
changed. If the state that failed to protect Dink will not manage to
protect me, then I have nothing to say."
Currently there are 20 suspects in the Dink murder case, eight of whom
are under arrest. Following Dink's murder, numerous reports suggested
that the police had been tipped off about the planned assassination
more than once before his murder but had failed to prevent it. Some
gendarmes later confirmed that they had been tipped off about the
plot to kill Dink before the murder was committed. Two gendarmes are
currently standing trial for having ignored warnings about the plot
against Dink.
More from Arslan's book The title of Arslan's book comes from the
testimony of Ogun Samast, the self-confessed murderer of Dink,
in a court. According to Samast, one day when he was hanging out
at a local Internet café playing games, his friend Hayal -- who
is now accused of inciting him to murder -- came up and told him:
"There's this Armenian. You should kill him."
The book provides new evidence that confirms links that were suspected
earlier between key Ergenekon suspect Veli Kucuk, a retired general,
and Col. Ali Oz, who was gendarmerie regiment commander in Trabzon --
the hometown of hitman Samast and other suspects in the trial and
the city where the plot to assassinate Dink was hatched.
A prosecutor filed a lawsuit in 2008 against Oz and six soldiers,
demanding up to two years of imprisonment for dereliction of duty in
the Hrant Dink murder case. The men are being accused of ignoring
tips from various sources about the plot being hatched during the
run-up to the murder. No convictions have yet been made in that trial.
Kucuk had also threatened Dink when he was still alive due to his
articles and writings. According to different accounts from various
members of the Dink family, Kucuk and ultranationalist lawyer Kemal
Kerincsiz -- also a suspect in the Ergenekon case -- had threatened
Dink. The journalist's brother, Orhan Dink, remembers that his brother
was highly unnerved by the involvement of Kerincsiz and Kucuk.
Arslan also points to various shortcomings that he spotted in the
investigation. He asserts in his book that Dink's murder was a stage
in a larger plan to launch an anti-Christian campaign and stir up
ultranationalist sentiment.
From: A. Papazian