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HITMAN IN DINK MURDER CONTRADICTS EARLIER STATEMENTS
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Dec 10 2014
Ogun Samast, who was sentenced to 21 years, six months in prison in
2011 for assassinating Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink, has
changed his testimony while giving a deposition as a witness in the
ongoing investigation into the murder against government officials
who are accused of failing to protect the victim.
He claimed that he heard a conversation between two people who were
talking about former head of the intelligence unit of the National
Police Department Ramazan Akyurek and a police chief named Fuat.
The conversation took place between Yasin Hayal, another suspect in
the case who was sentenced to life imprisonment for inciting Samast
to commit the murder, and Erhan Tuncel, who worked as an informant
for the Trabzon Police Department and was accused of initiating the
effort to have Dink murdered.
Samast said when he asked Hayal about the names he overheard during the
conversation that took place in Tuncel's house, he was told Tuncel knew
these people, adding that they were fully behind the plot to kill Dink.
The testimony contradicts Samast's 2010 deposition that led to his
conviction.
He had earlier claimed that he never knew Tuncel, adding that Hayal
was acting as a liaison to Tuncel.
Dink was assassinated in broad daylight outside the office of his
Agos newspaper on Jan. 17, 2007.
Seven years later, Samast suddenly decided to speak about the murder
and delivered his testimony to prosecutor Yusuf Hakkı Dogan.
As part of the same investigation, two former heads of the intelligence
unit of the National Police Department -- Sabri Uzun and Akyurek
-- and a former police chief, Ali Fuat Yılmazer, testified as
suspects. Other high-profile figures have been called to testify as
suspects, including former Ä°stanbul Police Chief Celalettin Cerrah,
former İstanbul Deputy Governor Ergun Gungör and former İstanbul
Police Department intelligence unit chief Ahmet Ä°lhan Guler.
Yılmazer defended himself in October saying that top administrators
are protecting those who are at fault for the murder of the
Turkish-Armenian journalist.
Yılmazer, who is currently under arrest as part of a government-backed
operation against the police force, stated that he had not even been
serving in Ä°stanbul during the time when the murder took place. "It is
[due to] bad intentions that my name has been given when others were
serving at the Ä°stanbul Police Department at that time. Others are
being protected," Yılmazer said.
He said inspectors from the Prime Minister's Office are ignoring those
who are really at fault in Dink's murder and that they want to launch
an investigation against him and Akyurek regarding the assassination.
He emphasized that top administrators are protecting those who are
truly guilty.
Yılmazer also said that he was not the head of the İstanbul branch
of the Intelligence Bureau in January 2007, when Dink was assassinated.
He said his post in Ä°stanbul started in March of that year. He also
added that Ahmet Ä°lhan Guler was the head of the Ä°stanbul branch
of the Intelligence Bureau during the time of the murder.
"Although this issue is present in the archives [of the police
department] and although this can be verified easily, it is being
manipulated," Yılmazer said.
The former police chief also emphasized that all inspectors who were
appointed by the Prime Ministry to investigate Dink's murder found
the Trabzon Police Department and the Ä°stanbul Police Department
at fault for the journalist's death. Yılmazer said the İstanbul
Police Department did not take any measures to prevent the murder,
although it had received intelligence about a possible assassination
attempt against Dink before the incident took place.
http://www.todayszaman.com/national_hitman-in-dink-murder-contradicts-earlier-statements_366586.html
From: Baghdasarian
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Dec 10 2014
Ogun Samast, who was sentenced to 21 years, six months in prison in
2011 for assassinating Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink, has
changed his testimony while giving a deposition as a witness in the
ongoing investigation into the murder against government officials
who are accused of failing to protect the victim.
He claimed that he heard a conversation between two people who were
talking about former head of the intelligence unit of the National
Police Department Ramazan Akyurek and a police chief named Fuat.
The conversation took place between Yasin Hayal, another suspect in
the case who was sentenced to life imprisonment for inciting Samast
to commit the murder, and Erhan Tuncel, who worked as an informant
for the Trabzon Police Department and was accused of initiating the
effort to have Dink murdered.
Samast said when he asked Hayal about the names he overheard during the
conversation that took place in Tuncel's house, he was told Tuncel knew
these people, adding that they were fully behind the plot to kill Dink.
The testimony contradicts Samast's 2010 deposition that led to his
conviction.
He had earlier claimed that he never knew Tuncel, adding that Hayal
was acting as a liaison to Tuncel.
Dink was assassinated in broad daylight outside the office of his
Agos newspaper on Jan. 17, 2007.
Seven years later, Samast suddenly decided to speak about the murder
and delivered his testimony to prosecutor Yusuf Hakkı Dogan.
As part of the same investigation, two former heads of the intelligence
unit of the National Police Department -- Sabri Uzun and Akyurek
-- and a former police chief, Ali Fuat Yılmazer, testified as
suspects. Other high-profile figures have been called to testify as
suspects, including former Ä°stanbul Police Chief Celalettin Cerrah,
former İstanbul Deputy Governor Ergun Gungör and former İstanbul
Police Department intelligence unit chief Ahmet Ä°lhan Guler.
Yılmazer defended himself in October saying that top administrators
are protecting those who are at fault for the murder of the
Turkish-Armenian journalist.
Yılmazer, who is currently under arrest as part of a government-backed
operation against the police force, stated that he had not even been
serving in Ä°stanbul during the time when the murder took place. "It is
[due to] bad intentions that my name has been given when others were
serving at the Ä°stanbul Police Department at that time. Others are
being protected," Yılmazer said.
He said inspectors from the Prime Minister's Office are ignoring those
who are really at fault in Dink's murder and that they want to launch
an investigation against him and Akyurek regarding the assassination.
He emphasized that top administrators are protecting those who are
truly guilty.
Yılmazer also said that he was not the head of the İstanbul branch
of the Intelligence Bureau in January 2007, when Dink was assassinated.
He said his post in Ä°stanbul started in March of that year. He also
added that Ahmet Ä°lhan Guler was the head of the Ä°stanbul branch
of the Intelligence Bureau during the time of the murder.
"Although this issue is present in the archives [of the police
department] and although this can be verified easily, it is being
manipulated," Yılmazer said.
The former police chief also emphasized that all inspectors who were
appointed by the Prime Ministry to investigate Dink's murder found
the Trabzon Police Department and the Ä°stanbul Police Department
at fault for the journalist's death. Yılmazer said the İstanbul
Police Department did not take any measures to prevent the murder,
although it had received intelligence about a possible assassination
attempt against Dink before the incident took place.
http://www.todayszaman.com/national_hitman-in-dink-murder-contradicts-earlier-statements_366586.html
From: Baghdasarian