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TÄ°BPROVIDES COURT WITH RECORDINGS FROM SCENE OF DINK MURDER
Today's Zaman
Nov 25 2011
Turkey
The Telecommunications Directorate (TÄ°B) has finally forwarded
recordings of telephone conversations had around the scene of the
murder of a Turkish Armenian journalist in 2007 pursuant to an order
issued by the Ä°stanbul 14th High Criminal Court, which is hearing
the Dink case.
Arzu Becerik, a lawyer for the Dink family, said the TÄ°B's eventual
compliance with the court order was largely due to a campaign by the
Dink family's lawyers to inform the public about the TÄ°B's wrongdoing.
"The TÄ°B has been dragging its feet for a long time. It acted largely
because we publicly announced that those recordings were essential
to the case," Becerik said.
On Nov. 14, at the 21st hearing of the murder trial, the Dink family's
lawyers emphasized that the TÄ°B had been requested by the court
several times to provide the phone recordings, which would be important
for the identification of other perpetrators belonging to the criminal
organization that allegedly played an important role in Dink's murder.
Until Nov. 21, the TÄ°B had not yet provided any of the information
requested by the court which, according to the plaintiff's lawyers,
was an obstruction of justice. "Those phone records could be crucial
to the case, especially since there were conversations right after
the murder," Becerik said. "We are in communication with the court
over how to proceed with reviewing those records at the moment."
Asked by Today's Zaman if this action by the TÄ°B came too late,
as the opinion of the prosecutor regarding the case was announced in
September, Becerik noted that that was one of their concerns but the
court has allowed some flexibility. TÄ°B President Fethi Å~^imÅ~_ek
told the Agos weekly, the Turkish-Armenian newspaper that Dink had
founded, that the recordings will not be deleted even though the time
limit to keep them is only five years thanks to a circular from the
Justice Ministry that asked the TÄ°B to keep the recordings until
the case is finalized.
The prosecution indicated in September that the murder was committed
by an Ergenekon cell -- part of an illegal organization accused
of plotting to overthrow the government -- in Trabzon. Dink family
lawyers were furious and asked why then the Trabzon gendarmerie and
police are not being prosecuted.
The Dink family's lawyers made many requests to broaden the scope of
the investigation beyond the small circle of nationalist youngsters
from Trabzon on trial in order to reach those they believe were the
masterminds behind the murder. Ogun Samast, the young man who pulled
the trigger, and his friends were under the control and surveillance
of Trabzon state officials long before Dink's assassination.
Becerik said that links with the local police and gendarmerie have
been uncovered but these officials have not been investigated.
"It is obvious that they are trying to close the case, but it is
incomplete," she said. "The prosecution knows this, too." She said
that at the most recent hearing, the prosecutor told the court that
"truth will be revealed one day."
"Who is supposed to reveal the truth?" Becerik asked. "This falls
under the responsibility of the prosecution. He spoke as if there
are obstacles to revealing the truth."
The next hearing of the trial will be on Dec. 5.
Today's Zaman
Nov 25 2011
Turkey
The Telecommunications Directorate (TÄ°B) has finally forwarded
recordings of telephone conversations had around the scene of the
murder of a Turkish Armenian journalist in 2007 pursuant to an order
issued by the Ä°stanbul 14th High Criminal Court, which is hearing
the Dink case.
Arzu Becerik, a lawyer for the Dink family, said the TÄ°B's eventual
compliance with the court order was largely due to a campaign by the
Dink family's lawyers to inform the public about the TÄ°B's wrongdoing.
"The TÄ°B has been dragging its feet for a long time. It acted largely
because we publicly announced that those recordings were essential
to the case," Becerik said.
On Nov. 14, at the 21st hearing of the murder trial, the Dink family's
lawyers emphasized that the TÄ°B had been requested by the court
several times to provide the phone recordings, which would be important
for the identification of other perpetrators belonging to the criminal
organization that allegedly played an important role in Dink's murder.
Until Nov. 21, the TÄ°B had not yet provided any of the information
requested by the court which, according to the plaintiff's lawyers,
was an obstruction of justice. "Those phone records could be crucial
to the case, especially since there were conversations right after
the murder," Becerik said. "We are in communication with the court
over how to proceed with reviewing those records at the moment."
Asked by Today's Zaman if this action by the TÄ°B came too late,
as the opinion of the prosecutor regarding the case was announced in
September, Becerik noted that that was one of their concerns but the
court has allowed some flexibility. TÄ°B President Fethi Å~^imÅ~_ek
told the Agos weekly, the Turkish-Armenian newspaper that Dink had
founded, that the recordings will not be deleted even though the time
limit to keep them is only five years thanks to a circular from the
Justice Ministry that asked the TÄ°B to keep the recordings until
the case is finalized.
The prosecution indicated in September that the murder was committed
by an Ergenekon cell -- part of an illegal organization accused
of plotting to overthrow the government -- in Trabzon. Dink family
lawyers were furious and asked why then the Trabzon gendarmerie and
police are not being prosecuted.
The Dink family's lawyers made many requests to broaden the scope of
the investigation beyond the small circle of nationalist youngsters
from Trabzon on trial in order to reach those they believe were the
masterminds behind the murder. Ogun Samast, the young man who pulled
the trigger, and his friends were under the control and surveillance
of Trabzon state officials long before Dink's assassination.
Becerik said that links with the local police and gendarmerie have
been uncovered but these officials have not been investigated.
"It is obvious that they are trying to close the case, but it is
incomplete," she said. "The prosecution knows this, too." She said
that at the most recent hearing, the prosecutor told the court that
"truth will be revealed one day."
"Who is supposed to reveal the truth?" Becerik asked. "This falls
under the responsibility of the prosecution. He spoke as if there
are obstacles to revealing the truth."
The next hearing of the trial will be on Dec. 5.