YASIN HAYALS LAWYER A SUSPECT HIMSELF

BÝA, Turkey
posted Aug 16 2007

Fuat Turgut, the lawyer representing suspect Yasin Hayal in the
Hrant Dink murder trial, has himself become the subject of a criminal
complaint. He has been accused of threatening a fellow lawyer with
death.

Following the complaint of Izmir Bar Association lawyer Ismail
Hakki Kucuk, a case has been opened against Fuat Turgut at an Izmir
magistrate criminal court. Kucuk had filed a complaint at the Izmir
Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on 15 December 2005.

Kucuk had been representing a wholesale shoe dealer, Mustaf Ozvardar,
and Turgut was representing one Fethi Takes who had debts with
Ozvardar. Kucuk claims to have been threatened with death by both
Takes and his lawyer, Turgut.

Ozvardar had gone to Kucuk’s office and said, "You are telling me to
‘come and kill me’. If you want interest on this file, your children
will become orphans."

At the first hearing of the Hrant Dink murder trial at the Besiktas
court (Istanbul), Fuat Turgut had created tension. He had taunted the
Dink family and had accused the joint attorneys of "treachery". He
had shouted, "Look how many Armenians there are. You are all Armenian,
you all have Armenian passports."

Should Turgut be punished, the Izmir Bar Association would bar him
from his profession.

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