July 18, 2024
Rabia Çetin
The sixth hearing of the retrial of 15 public officials, seven of whom are detained, for their alleged roles in the murder of Agos newspaper Editor-in-Chief Hrant Dink continued for a second day at Istanbul's 14th High Criminal Court.
Present in the courtroom were detained defendant Okan Şimşek and house-arrested Ali Öz, while other detained defendants Muharrem Demirkale, Hasan Durmuşoğlu, Osman Gülbel, and Yavuz Karakaya attended via SEGBIS from their prisons. Non-detained defendants Mehmet Ayhan, Bekir Yokuş, Mehmet Ali Özkılınç, Onur Karakaya, and Volkan Şahin also joined via SEGBIS from their respective locations.
Hrant Dink’s family lawyers, friends, and representatives from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) followed the proceedings.
‘I informed my superior about the assassination plot’
Okan Şimşek, a former Trabzon Gendarmerie Intelligence officer, defended himself against the charges, stating, “Six months before the murder, I informed my superior, Captain Metin Yıldız, about the information I received from Coşkun İğci, Yasin Hayal’s brother-in-law, that Hayal planned to assassinate Hrant Dink. Metin Yıldız relayed this information to Ali Öz during a meeting. However, no subsequent actions were taken.”
'No meeting or instructions followed'
Şimşek continued, “Despite raising the issue twice with my superiors, no meeting was held, nor were any instructions given. It was not my duty to prevent the murder but that of my superiors who failed to act on the intelligence.”
'Preventing the murder was not my duty, it was my superior’s'
Şimşek emphasized that his responsibility ended with reporting the information to his superior. He said, “Metin Yıldız, who did nothing and had our intelligence reported as newly obtained after the murder, was acquitted. We didn’t conduct any reconnaissance at Hrant Dink’s home or office in Bakırköy. Coşkun İğci had already told us that Yasin Hayal had the maps and photos.”
'The order to meet with Coşkun İğci came from Ali Öz'
Şimşek further explained, “We met with Coşkun İğci upon orders from our superiors, Ali Öz, to verify if he had shared any information with anyone else. We didn’t threaten him.”
'I did my duty, but my superior was acquitted'
Mehmet Ayhan, a non-detained defendant and former Trabzon Intelligence Branch officer, stated, “Erhan Tuncel deliberately misled authorities by not revealing Ogün Samast’s name. I fulfilled my duty, but my superior, Ercan Demir, who was in charge, was acquitted. I request my acquittal.”
'I had no role in the murder, I am not affiliated with FETÖ'
Bekir Yokuş, another non-detained defendant and former Istanbul Gendarmerie Intelligence officer, argued, “Hrant Dink’s murder is known to be a plot by FETÖ. I had no involvement in this murder and am not affiliated with FETÖ. I request my acquittal.”
'Raw intelligence was not processed into actionable information'
Ali Öz, former Trabzon Provincial Gendarmerie Commander under house arrest, defended himself, saying, “I had no involvement or contact with the perpetrators. The raw intelligence was not processed into actionable information. My subordinates should have documented it properly. The failure to act on the intelligence was not my responsibility but that of my subordinates.”
'I didn’t know Hrant Dink, I had no reason to wish him harm'
Öz concluded, “I did not know Hrant Dink and had no reason to wish him harm. I did not facilitate or instigate his murder. My mistake was failing to supervise my subordinates adequately. I request my acquittal.”
Trial background
The trial for the public officials' responsibility in Hrant Dink's murder began in April 2016. Despite prior knowledge of the murder plot, Istanbul Police Department officials failed to take protective measures, while Trabzon Police Department officials did not act against the organization planning the murder. Intelligence Department officials did not coordinate protection measures or operations, and false documents were created post-murder.
In July 2019, the cases of the shooter and instigators were separated. Erhan Tuncel was sentenced to 99 years and six months, Yasin Hayal to seven years and six months, and Ogün Samast to two years and six months. The trial of public officials continues.
The panel led by Akın Gürlek, who later became Deputy Minister of Justice, concluded the case involving 76 defendants in March 2021. Thirty-seven public officials were acquitted, while 26 received various prison sentences. The Court of Cassation overturned some acquittals and sentences in June 2023, leading to the ongoing retrial.
Prosecutor Süleyman Erturan requested the punishment of 12 defendants for “premeditated murder” and 10 for “attempting to overthrow the constitutional order.”
The hearing was adjourned to October 11 at 10 a.m., with the detention of the accused and house arrest of Ali Öz to continue.
