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DIYARBAKIR MILITARY COURT RESUMES TRIAL INVESTIGATING DEATH OF TURKISH-ARMENIAN SOLDIER
http://hetq.am/eng/news/22749/diyarbakir-military-court-resumes-trial-investigating-death-of-turkish-armenian-soldier.html
16:59, January 28, 2013
On January 25, a military court in Diyarbakir province resumed the
trial of Kıvanç AÄ~_aoÄ~_lu , the alleged killer of Turkish-Armenian
soldier Sevag Balıkçı during their compulsory military service on
April 24, 2011.
Sevag Balıkçı was killed in Batman, southeastern Turkey where
he was serving his last 23 days as a conscripted private. Official
military reports have consistently claimed that the Armenian was
killed unintentionally during a â~@~\friendly prankâ~@~].
The lengthy trial has had many twists and turns and conflicting
testimony from witnesses.
During the trialâ~@~Ys ninth hearing in November 2012, defense lawyer
İbrahim Gök motioned for a media ban on all further hearings,
arguing that the trial was becoming "politicized" and that the case
has nothing to do with the events of 1915. His request was denied.
Garo Paylan, an activist from Justice for Sevag Initiative, said
Turkey's main forensic institution issued a report proving that
Kıvanç AÄ~_aoÄ~_lu's rifle was shot in parallel to the victim,
a fact that might refute claims of an accident.
"The advocates of victim's parents pointed out the contradiction in the
testimony of witnesses. They demanded witness testimonies before the
court and a new investigation. The testimony process might have been
flawed because they were all taken in different cities," Paylan said.
He also reminded the court's order to decide on the testimonies
according to the upcoming expert report.
"Turkish state feeds hatred against minorities"
The Turkish Armenian civic group Nor Zartonk and the Justice For Sevag
Initiative made a public statement prior to the January 25 trial and
raised the issue of recent attacks against elderly Armenian women in
Samatya. ,
"For over 150 years, the authorities in this land always sacrificed
individuals and groups which they could not assimilate. Just like in
1915, the crimes against Armenians in Turkey still go unpunished.
Racism and chauvinism is fed by state authorities to be used against
minorities,â~@~] the statement reads.
http://hetq.am/eng/news/22749/diyarbakir-military-court-resumes-trial-investigating-death-of-turkish-armenian-soldier.html
16:59, January 28, 2013
On January 25, a military court in Diyarbakir province resumed the
trial of Kıvanç AÄ~_aoÄ~_lu , the alleged killer of Turkish-Armenian
soldier Sevag Balıkçı during their compulsory military service on
April 24, 2011.
Sevag Balıkçı was killed in Batman, southeastern Turkey where
he was serving his last 23 days as a conscripted private. Official
military reports have consistently claimed that the Armenian was
killed unintentionally during a â~@~\friendly prankâ~@~].
The lengthy trial has had many twists and turns and conflicting
testimony from witnesses.
During the trialâ~@~Ys ninth hearing in November 2012, defense lawyer
İbrahim Gök motioned for a media ban on all further hearings,
arguing that the trial was becoming "politicized" and that the case
has nothing to do with the events of 1915. His request was denied.
Garo Paylan, an activist from Justice for Sevag Initiative, said
Turkey's main forensic institution issued a report proving that
Kıvanç AÄ~_aoÄ~_lu's rifle was shot in parallel to the victim,
a fact that might refute claims of an accident.
"The advocates of victim's parents pointed out the contradiction in the
testimony of witnesses. They demanded witness testimonies before the
court and a new investigation. The testimony process might have been
flawed because they were all taken in different cities," Paylan said.
He also reminded the court's order to decide on the testimonies
according to the upcoming expert report.
"Turkish state feeds hatred against minorities"
The Turkish Armenian civic group Nor Zartonk and the Justice For Sevag
Initiative made a public statement prior to the January 25 trial and
raised the issue of recent attacks against elderly Armenian women in
Samatya. ,
"For over 150 years, the authorities in this land always sacrificed
individuals and groups which they could not assimilate. Just like in
1915, the crimes against Armenians in Turkey still go unpunished.
Racism and chauvinism is fed by state authorities to be used against
minorities,â~@~] the statement reads.