TURKISH COURT RESUMES TRIAL OF 19 ACCUSED IN 2007 KILLING OF ETHNIC ARMENIAN JOURNALIST

Associated Press Worldstream
July 7, 2008 Monday

A Turkish court resumed its trial of 19 people accused in the 2007
killing of an ethnic Armenian journalist.

The judge said one of the alleged masterminds had testified to warning
police of the plans to kill Hrant Dink a full 11 months before the
journalist was gunned down in front of his newspaper’s Istanbul office,
the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.

The January 2007 killing led to international condemnation, and
the trial is seen as a test of Turkey’s ability investigate and
punish possible negligence by authorities. Human rights activists
said evidence suggests police knew about plots to kill Dink but did
nothing to prevent it.

The Istanbul 14th Criminal Court judge said Monday that Erhan Tuncel
one of two defendants accused of masterminding the plot had said
under police questioning that he worked as a police informant for
two years before telling authorities of the plot, Anatolia reported.

It was not clear why Tuncel would have informed police about the plot
he is accused of masterminding.

Main suspect Ogun Samast is accused of pulling the trigger and
killing Dink.

Monday’s hearing was the first to be opened to the public. Previous
hearings have been held behind closed doors because Samast was a
minor. He turned 18 last month.

Trial was adjourned until Oct. 13.

Dink once prosecuted for calling the early 20th century mass killings
of Armenians by Turks a genocide had sought to encourage reconciliation
between Turkey and Armenia.

He was hated by nationalists, who deny the deaths constituted
genocide. Turkey also denies the label, saying the Armenians killed
during World War I had been victims of civil war and unrest.