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A POLITICAL MURDER CASE LEFT TO ROT
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Sept 19 2013
YAVUZ BAYDAR
Certainly, one should never compare tragedies. But neither should
anyone deny the symbolic magnitude of the tragedy that struck our
dear colleague the late Hrant Dink and scarred his family forever.
The dark date of Jan. 19, 2007 carved a deep wound on all of us. When
that heinous murder took place, this newspaper was only three days
old; it is no wonder its bold history is also defined by the powerful
probe for justice and its lifeline closely linked to the sense of
closure this case still demands, day after day.
So, it is no wonder that these days we have the utterly bitter taste
of lies, deceit and, well, nothingness. The murder trial that began
in July 2007 with high hopes for justice has now been moved back to
square one. A litmus test for democratization for Turkey has, many
argue, failed; underlining all the reform that has stalled and been
delayed since then.
The retrial began some days ago in İstanbul, after the Supreme Court
of Appeals in May overturned the lower court's ruling of Jan. 17, 2012,
dismissing the involvement of an organized criminal terror network
in the murder. This means the trial will have to start from scratch;
going through all the same procedures, while even less evidence may
be valid, witnesses may have a less reliable memory and it will be
under different political -- and, perhaps, judicial -- circumstances.
For all those who have made their own studies of "How to destroy
the investigations of critical human rights violations and political
murders," the sense of helplessness is already out in the open.
The Dink family is now in full rebellion. Hrant's loved ones issued
a public letter a few days ago that should not go unnoticed, simply
because by its tone it reveals what the case has been reduced to. Do
let me share some parts of it:
"As the Dink family, we will no longer be an instrument in the game
of the state mechanisms that tease us; we will no longer attend the
re-hearings of the murder case. For the sake of not getting ourselves
filthy, we will no longer enter those courtrooms where lies are
drunk like water; tyranny is eaten like bread; the right to life,
human rights, fairness, honesty, justice and law are stepped on."
"Since the slaying of Hrant Dink on 19 January 2007, the system
in Turkey -- along with its judiciary, law enforcement, military
and civilian bureaucracy, and political institutions -- have merely
mocked us. While appearing as if it was seeking justice, the criminal
alliance called the state recommitted the murder day by day, hearing
by hearing, over and over again. This alliance is itself the criminal
organization that planned the murder and then covered it up."
"In this lawsuit, the only thing necessary to reveal the state's murder
mechanisms and he criminal alliance was political will. Despite all
the pledges to the public, the political power persistently refrained
from manifesting this political will. Far from manifesting will power,
it promoted the state officials who had played a role in the murder
or who had praised the murderers; it appointed them to be security
directors, undersecretaries, governors and as the public ombudsman;
and they admitted some of them into their own structures and made
them parliamentary deputies or ministers. Rather than turning this
murder that was committed while they were in power into a matter of
"honor," the political power has chosen to use it as a trump card;
to try the offenders only when the gun is pointed at them; and to
brag by saying 'During our term, there have not been any murders by
unknown assailants,' ignoring the murder of the only Armenian during
the republican history who has struggled for human rights with a
strong voice."
"We are no longer in this show. ... Where there is the state behind
or in front, we do not expect anything."
We are now stuck between very low hope and despair. For all those
who are interested in the case, I would highly recommend a new
book titled "I Feel Ashamed" by Fethiye Cetin, the Dink family's
attorney. Reading like an alternative indictment, shedding light
on all sorts of alleged cover-up and demonic intrigue, it deserves
translation to other languages.
http://www.todayszaman.com/columnistDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=326857
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Sept 19 2013
YAVUZ BAYDAR
Certainly, one should never compare tragedies. But neither should
anyone deny the symbolic magnitude of the tragedy that struck our
dear colleague the late Hrant Dink and scarred his family forever.
The dark date of Jan. 19, 2007 carved a deep wound on all of us. When
that heinous murder took place, this newspaper was only three days
old; it is no wonder its bold history is also defined by the powerful
probe for justice and its lifeline closely linked to the sense of
closure this case still demands, day after day.
So, it is no wonder that these days we have the utterly bitter taste
of lies, deceit and, well, nothingness. The murder trial that began
in July 2007 with high hopes for justice has now been moved back to
square one. A litmus test for democratization for Turkey has, many
argue, failed; underlining all the reform that has stalled and been
delayed since then.
The retrial began some days ago in İstanbul, after the Supreme Court
of Appeals in May overturned the lower court's ruling of Jan. 17, 2012,
dismissing the involvement of an organized criminal terror network
in the murder. This means the trial will have to start from scratch;
going through all the same procedures, while even less evidence may
be valid, witnesses may have a less reliable memory and it will be
under different political -- and, perhaps, judicial -- circumstances.
For all those who have made their own studies of "How to destroy
the investigations of critical human rights violations and political
murders," the sense of helplessness is already out in the open.
The Dink family is now in full rebellion. Hrant's loved ones issued
a public letter a few days ago that should not go unnoticed, simply
because by its tone it reveals what the case has been reduced to. Do
let me share some parts of it:
"As the Dink family, we will no longer be an instrument in the game
of the state mechanisms that tease us; we will no longer attend the
re-hearings of the murder case. For the sake of not getting ourselves
filthy, we will no longer enter those courtrooms where lies are
drunk like water; tyranny is eaten like bread; the right to life,
human rights, fairness, honesty, justice and law are stepped on."
"Since the slaying of Hrant Dink on 19 January 2007, the system
in Turkey -- along with its judiciary, law enforcement, military
and civilian bureaucracy, and political institutions -- have merely
mocked us. While appearing as if it was seeking justice, the criminal
alliance called the state recommitted the murder day by day, hearing
by hearing, over and over again. This alliance is itself the criminal
organization that planned the murder and then covered it up."
"In this lawsuit, the only thing necessary to reveal the state's murder
mechanisms and he criminal alliance was political will. Despite all
the pledges to the public, the political power persistently refrained
from manifesting this political will. Far from manifesting will power,
it promoted the state officials who had played a role in the murder
or who had praised the murderers; it appointed them to be security
directors, undersecretaries, governors and as the public ombudsman;
and they admitted some of them into their own structures and made
them parliamentary deputies or ministers. Rather than turning this
murder that was committed while they were in power into a matter of
"honor," the political power has chosen to use it as a trump card;
to try the offenders only when the gun is pointed at them; and to
brag by saying 'During our term, there have not been any murders by
unknown assailants,' ignoring the murder of the only Armenian during
the republican history who has struggled for human rights with a
strong voice."
"We are no longer in this show. ... Where there is the state behind
or in front, we do not expect anything."
We are now stuck between very low hope and despair. For all those
who are interested in the case, I would highly recommend a new
book titled "I Feel Ashamed" by Fethiye Cetin, the Dink family's
attorney. Reading like an alternative indictment, shedding light
on all sorts of alleged cover-up and demonic intrigue, it deserves
translation to other languages.
http://www.todayszaman.com/columnistDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=326857