NO COURT CASE AGAINST HRANT DINK’S LAWYER
Erol Onderoglu
BIA, Turkey
Feb 6 2008
An Istanbul court dropped the case against Hrant Dink’s lawyer Erdal
Dogan for writing that nationalist lawyer Fuat Turgut should be tried
for threatening Hrant Dink.
After lawyer Hrant Dink’s lawyer Erdal Dogan wrote an article entitled
"The big brothers use the law very well" in the Aksam newspaper on 9
April 2007, lawyer Fuat Turgut filed a criminal complaint against him.
Turgut notorious for suing for compensation
Fuat Turgut, who was taken into custody and later released in the
ultra-nationalist Ergenekon gang investigation, is the defense lawyer
for one of the murder suspects in the Hrant Dink murder.
In the article in question, Dogan had accused Turgut of threatening
Hrant Dink before his murder. He had written, "When a person who
should be prosecuted for targeting Dink, for threatening him and for
obstructing a fair trial, then turns up as the lawyer for one of the
murder suspects, this is where the law has nothing else to say."
Turgut had taken the case to court, demanding 5,000 YTL compensation.
However, the Sariyer 2nd Civil Court of Peace decided yesterday
(5 February) that there was no crime committed.
The Izmir Bar Association started an investigation into Turgut after
he shouted at the murdered journalist’s family "How many Armenians
there are!" on the first day of the murder case trial on 2 July.
However, there has been no result. Turgut has also gained notoriety
for suing Radikal journalist Perihan Magden and Birgun journalist
Ahmet Tulgar , demanding a total of 20,000 YTL compensation.
Dogan also sued by Ergenekon suspect Kucuk Dogan has also been sued
by Veli Kucuk, the retired general who was arrested in the Ergenekon
gang operation recently and is now in prison.
Dogan had said, "Hrant Dink became worried when Veli Kucuk wanted
to join the court case against him as a co-plaintiff. Kucuk is not
an ordinary person." Kucuk has demanded 10,000 YTL compensation. The
case will continue at the Beyoglu 1st Civil Court of First Instance
on 4 March.