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Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Oct 7 2011
Turkey's telecommunications body dragging feet in Dink case
Friday, October 7, 2011
ANKARA ` Vatan
Dink, a Turkish journalist of Armenian origin, was shot in front of
his office in January 2007. Triggerman Ogün Samast has been sentenced
to 22 years. Hürriyet photo
The Telecommunications Directorate (TİB) has again refused a request
by an Istanbul court to disclose phone records pertaining to the
assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink in 2007 but
has instead issued its own request.
TİB had earlier rejected two court demands to disclose the relevant
phone records, first by indicating to the court that no phone calls
were made in the area in question, then by claiming that the
disclosure of such information would amount to a `violation of
privacy.'
This time, however, TİB has responded to the same demands by a higher
court by requesting that a series of simulated phone calls be made and
that other relevant information about the calls, such as their
duration and date, be recorded.
The request could be in vain, however, as the locations of the base
stations in the area might have changed, or the base stations may have
been removed altogether in the four years that have passed since the
assassination.
TİB offered no explanation as to how placing such simulated phone
calls might shed light on the events surrounding Dink's murder.
After TİB's failure to respond to the same demand on previous
occasions, the Dink family's lawyers placed such simulated calls in
2008. TİB, however, told the family that the phone records and the
base stations in question could not be determined.
In the past, TİB has provided information on one phone line that was
unconnected to the case, leading some to question the institution's
explicit committment to the protection of personal privacy ` the same
principle it evoked to deny the request to disclose phone records in
the ongoing investigation.
Dink, a Turkish journalist of Armenian origin, was the chief editor
for weekly Agos, a paper published in both Turkish and Armenian. He
was shot in front of his office in January 2007; triggerman Ogün
Samast was sentenced to 22 years in prison last month for the murder.
Oct 7 2011
Turkey's telecommunications body dragging feet in Dink case
Friday, October 7, 2011
ANKARA ` Vatan
Dink, a Turkish journalist of Armenian origin, was shot in front of
his office in January 2007. Triggerman Ogün Samast has been sentenced
to 22 years. Hürriyet photo
The Telecommunications Directorate (TİB) has again refused a request
by an Istanbul court to disclose phone records pertaining to the
assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink in 2007 but
has instead issued its own request.
TİB had earlier rejected two court demands to disclose the relevant
phone records, first by indicating to the court that no phone calls
were made in the area in question, then by claiming that the
disclosure of such information would amount to a `violation of
privacy.'
This time, however, TİB has responded to the same demands by a higher
court by requesting that a series of simulated phone calls be made and
that other relevant information about the calls, such as their
duration and date, be recorded.
The request could be in vain, however, as the locations of the base
stations in the area might have changed, or the base stations may have
been removed altogether in the four years that have passed since the
assassination.
TİB offered no explanation as to how placing such simulated phone
calls might shed light on the events surrounding Dink's murder.
After TİB's failure to respond to the same demand on previous
occasions, the Dink family's lawyers placed such simulated calls in
2008. TİB, however, told the family that the phone records and the
base stations in question could not be determined.
In the past, TİB has provided information on one phone line that was
unconnected to the case, leading some to question the institution's
explicit committment to the protection of personal privacy ` the same
principle it evoked to deny the request to disclose phone records in
the ongoing investigation.
Dink, a Turkish journalist of Armenian origin, was the chief editor
for weekly Agos, a paper published in both Turkish and Armenian. He
was shot in front of his office in January 2007; triggerman Ogün
Samast was sentenced to 22 years in prison last month for the murder.