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TURKEY: TENS OF THOUSANDS MARK JOURNALIST'S DEATH
By SELCAN HACAOGLU
Associated Press
ANKARA, Turkey January 19, 2012 (AP)
Tens of thousands of protesters marked the fifth anniversary of a
Turkish-Armenian journalist's murder on Thursday as outrage continues
to grow over a trial that failed to shed light on alleged official
negligence or even collusion.
Human rights activists placed red carnations on the spot in Istanbul
where Hrant Dink was gunned down in broad daylight outside of his
minority Agos newspaper office by a nationalist teenage gunman.
The case highlights Turkey's uneasy relationship with its ethnic and
religious minorities, including at least 60,000 Armenian Christians.
Many people carried black banners that read: "We are all Hrant, we are
all Armenian," and some chanted "Turkey will be a grave for fascism."
Tens of thousands marched for justice, a call shared by Turkish
leaders and leading businessmen who expressed unease over this week's
sentencing of one man, Yasin Hayal, to life in prison for masterminding
the killing, while another 17 were acquitted of charges of acting
under a terrorist organization's orders. The court neglected to issue
a verdict about a 19th suspect.
"The verdict is tragic and is weighing heavily on the conscience
of everyone in Turkey," Rober Koptas, Dink's son-in-law and
editor-in-chief of Agos, told AP television in an interview.
The gunman, Ogun Samast, was sentenced to nearly 23 years in prison
in July by a separate juvenile court.
Umit Boyner, the head of Turkey's influential industrialists'
association TUSIAD, said the court's decision had "shocked" the public.
"What we solidly see in this trial process is that the belief in
justice has been shaken and weaknesses in our justice system have
been revealed," he said.
Turkey's leaders have vowed a thorough investigation into Dink's
killing ~W signaling dissatisfaction with Tuesday's court ruling by
a panel of judges.
Dink's lawyers have said they will appeal the verdict, saying the
investigation was flawed because the judiciary had not followed up
on evidence alleging officials may have been aware of the plot.
Protesters marching past the site of the Jan. 19, 2007 killing carried
banners that read: "This case cannot finish like this." A black marble
plaque marking the spot bore the solemn words in Turkish and Armenian:
"Hrant Dink was killed here."
President Abdullah Gul said the case amounted to a tough test for
Turkey, a democracy with a mostly Muslim population that seeks
membership in the European Union.
"The conclusion of this case in a transparent and just manner in line
with our laws is an important test for us," Gul said on Thursday.
Koptas responded that politicians were feeling guilty because they
had done nothing in five years to ensure justice.
"If Hrant Dink was a test, Turkey failed, the ruling party failed,"
he said."If candid steps are taken in the future (to rectify the
verdict), Turkey's image can be repaired but I'm not very hopeful."
Rustem Eryilmaz ~W who led the panel of judges ~W sparked even more
fury when he told the daily Vatan in an interview published Thursday
that he was not satisfied with the decision, acknowledging that the
court had failed to reveal allegations of negligence or collusion
between the state and the suspects.
"We could not shed light on what was going on behind the scenes,
which is what everyone is curious about," Eryilmaz said. "There must
be instigators ... but there is a need for evidence to accept the
existence of such from a legal perspective."
Rustem Eryilmaz ~W who led the panel of judges ~W sparked even more
fury when he told the daily Vatan in an interview published Thursday
that he was not satisfied with the decision, acknowledging that the
court had failed to reveal allegations of negligence or collusion
between the state and the suspects.
"We could not shed light on what was going on behind the scenes,
which is what everyone is curious about," Eryilmaz said. "There must
be instigators ... but there is a need for evidence to accept the
existence of such from a legal perspective."
Eryilmaz said the judges felt pressure to issue a verdict after
the 4-1/2 year trial, and did not have time to examine thousands of
telephone conversations at the scene on the day of the assassination.
"The assumption that only one person was responsible for this incident
has damaged the public conscience," Arinc said Thursday.
Dink had sought to encourage reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia,
but several years before his death he was prosecuted under Turkish
law for describing the early 20th-century mass killings of Armenians
as genocide.
Historians estimate up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by
Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I, an event widely viewed
by genocide scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century.
Turkey, however, denies the deaths constituted genocide, saying that
the toll has been inflated and that those killed were victims of
civil war and unrest.
By SELCAN HACAOGLU
Associated Press
ANKARA, Turkey January 19, 2012 (AP)
Tens of thousands of protesters marked the fifth anniversary of a
Turkish-Armenian journalist's murder on Thursday as outrage continues
to grow over a trial that failed to shed light on alleged official
negligence or even collusion.
Human rights activists placed red carnations on the spot in Istanbul
where Hrant Dink was gunned down in broad daylight outside of his
minority Agos newspaper office by a nationalist teenage gunman.
The case highlights Turkey's uneasy relationship with its ethnic and
religious minorities, including at least 60,000 Armenian Christians.
Many people carried black banners that read: "We are all Hrant, we are
all Armenian," and some chanted "Turkey will be a grave for fascism."
Tens of thousands marched for justice, a call shared by Turkish
leaders and leading businessmen who expressed unease over this week's
sentencing of one man, Yasin Hayal, to life in prison for masterminding
the killing, while another 17 were acquitted of charges of acting
under a terrorist organization's orders. The court neglected to issue
a verdict about a 19th suspect.
"The verdict is tragic and is weighing heavily on the conscience
of everyone in Turkey," Rober Koptas, Dink's son-in-law and
editor-in-chief of Agos, told AP television in an interview.
The gunman, Ogun Samast, was sentenced to nearly 23 years in prison
in July by a separate juvenile court.
Umit Boyner, the head of Turkey's influential industrialists'
association TUSIAD, said the court's decision had "shocked" the public.
"What we solidly see in this trial process is that the belief in
justice has been shaken and weaknesses in our justice system have
been revealed," he said.
Turkey's leaders have vowed a thorough investigation into Dink's
killing ~W signaling dissatisfaction with Tuesday's court ruling by
a panel of judges.
Dink's lawyers have said they will appeal the verdict, saying the
investigation was flawed because the judiciary had not followed up
on evidence alleging officials may have been aware of the plot.
Protesters marching past the site of the Jan. 19, 2007 killing carried
banners that read: "This case cannot finish like this." A black marble
plaque marking the spot bore the solemn words in Turkish and Armenian:
"Hrant Dink was killed here."
President Abdullah Gul said the case amounted to a tough test for
Turkey, a democracy with a mostly Muslim population that seeks
membership in the European Union.
"The conclusion of this case in a transparent and just manner in line
with our laws is an important test for us," Gul said on Thursday.
Koptas responded that politicians were feeling guilty because they
had done nothing in five years to ensure justice.
"If Hrant Dink was a test, Turkey failed, the ruling party failed,"
he said."If candid steps are taken in the future (to rectify the
verdict), Turkey's image can be repaired but I'm not very hopeful."
Rustem Eryilmaz ~W who led the panel of judges ~W sparked even more
fury when he told the daily Vatan in an interview published Thursday
that he was not satisfied with the decision, acknowledging that the
court had failed to reveal allegations of negligence or collusion
between the state and the suspects.
"We could not shed light on what was going on behind the scenes,
which is what everyone is curious about," Eryilmaz said. "There must
be instigators ... but there is a need for evidence to accept the
existence of such from a legal perspective."
Rustem Eryilmaz ~W who led the panel of judges ~W sparked even more
fury when he told the daily Vatan in an interview published Thursday
that he was not satisfied with the decision, acknowledging that the
court had failed to reveal allegations of negligence or collusion
between the state and the suspects.
"We could not shed light on what was going on behind the scenes,
which is what everyone is curious about," Eryilmaz said. "There must
be instigators ... but there is a need for evidence to accept the
existence of such from a legal perspective."
Eryilmaz said the judges felt pressure to issue a verdict after
the 4-1/2 year trial, and did not have time to examine thousands of
telephone conversations at the scene on the day of the assassination.
"The assumption that only one person was responsible for this incident
has damaged the public conscience," Arinc said Thursday.
Dink had sought to encourage reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia,
but several years before his death he was prosecuted under Turkish
law for describing the early 20th-century mass killings of Armenians
as genocide.
Historians estimate up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by
Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I, an event widely viewed
by genocide scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century.
Turkey, however, denies the deaths constituted genocide, saying that
the toll has been inflated and that those killed were victims of
civil war and unrest.