Turkey Arrests Right-Winger for Ethnic Armenian Journalist’s Killing

Sofia News Agency, Bulgaria
March 26 2007

Turkey Arrests Right-Winger for Ethnic Armenian Journalist’s Killing

26 March 2007, Monday

Turkish police detained late on Sunday a right-wing politician in
connection with the murder of high-profile Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink.

The police detained Yasar Cihan, head of the local branch of the
conservative and nationalist Great Unity party in the Black Sea port
city of Trabzon, private NTV television reported.

According to NTV, police were still looking for another leading
member of Great Unity, Halis Egemen.

Hrant Dink, 53, was shot dead in broad daylight outside his Istanbul
offices on January 20.

Dink, who stirred up anger in nationalists for his comments over mass
killings of Armenians by Turks during the First World War, is
reported to have been shot three times in the neck.

The attack raised tensions in a country where politicians have been
courting the nationalist vote ahead of May’s presidential elections.

Ogun Samast, a 17-year-old suspect, was arrested after he was
identified by his father from CCTV images taken near the scene of
Friday’s killing in Istanbul.