PROTEST MARKS BEGINNING OF TRIAL OF TURKISH-ARMENIAN JOURNALIST’S KILLERS

NTV MSNBC, Turkey
Oct 1 2007

As many as 100,000 people took part in a rally in Istanbul earlier
this year to condemn the slaying of the well known journalist.

ISTANBUL – Hundreds of people gathered outside an Istanbul courthouse
Monday as the trial resumed of 19 men accused of involvement in the
murder of prominent Turkish Armenian journalist and rights activist
Hrant Dink.

Dink was shot and killed outside the office of the Argos newspaper,
of which he was editor, on January 19. A 17 year old Turkish man,
who cannot be named due to his age, has admitted committing the
murder. A further 18 men were implicated in the plot to kill Dink,
though only five of those are currently in custody.

There have been claims from lawyers representing the Dink family that
not enough has been done to track down those who planned the murder
and that there may have been state involvement in the killing. Many of
those accused of having links to the murder of Dink have connections
to far right wing nationalist groups.

There have also been suggestions that security officials were warned
by informants that an attempt would be made on Dink’s life but that
no action was taken.

Many of those who attended the protest outside the Besiktas court
on Monday carried banners saying, "We are all witnesses, we demand
justice".