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The Assassination of Hrant Dink

In-Depth Look

Actors

Intrigue

Documentation

Hrant Dink had become one of the symbolic figures in the struggle for democracy and human rights in Turkey, known for his courageous writing and belief in tolerance. The heinous assassination he suffered in Istanbul in 2007 marked not just the silencing of a journalist, but an attempt to quiet a conscience fighting for peace and freedom. To delve deeper into the events following this tragic incident and the details of the case, explore the timeline related to the assassination of Hrant Dink.

Understanding the assassination of Hrant Dink and the subsequent events requires a thorough perspective. Through allegations, responses, questions, and analyses, we explore various aspects of this complex and multi-layered case, incorporating views from both the public and experts. We aim to provide the necessary tools to fully comprehend the incident by delivering a detailed analysis of the events and the development of the case.

We delve into the key actors of the Hrant Dink case, offering a wide range of perspectives that cover all layers of this tragic assassination and the people involved. Information is provided on official suspects, actual perpetrators, those conducting the trial, those influencing the trial, protected individuals, and those unjustly targeted.

We also take an in-depth look at the situation of Ramazan Akyürek, the police chief who was labelled a ‘murderer’ while trying to shed light on the murder of Hrant Dink. This case reveals how Akyürek was targeted by the government and faced unfounded accusations. This process is a concrete example of how justice can be manipulated in the shadow of political forces.

We present a comprehensive collection of all available documents related to the Hrant Dink case. This collection includes case files, court decisions, witness statements, and relevant correspondences. Each document contains crucial information for a better understanding of the case and offers a more detailed picture of the events. Through these documents, you can closely examine the events and processes surrounding the case from its original sources.

2002

Accusation of insulting Turkishness

Hrant Dink was subjected to a four-year trial on charges of "denigrating Turkishness" after he used the phrases "I am not a Turk, I am from Turkey and I am Armenian" at a conference in Şanlıurfa. At the end of this process, he was acquitted on 9th February 2006.
2003

Planned attack in Sydney

On 17 January, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs notified the Directorate General of Security and the National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) about a planned armed attack against Hrant Dink in Sydney. The tip-off was delivered to the Istanbul Police Department on 28 January and the Istanbul Police Department became aware of the threats against Dink for the first time.
28 Jan 2024

Patriarch's application for protection

On 28 January, Armenian Patriarch Mutafyan applied to the Istanbul Governor's Office and the Istanbul Police Department, informing them that a website contained information about bomb-making and targeting the Armenian community and requesting protection. As a result of the investigation concerning the website, one person was arrested.
6 Feb 2004

About Sabiha Gökçen

In the 6 February issue of Agos newspaper, a news article was published stating that Sabiha Gökçen was an Armenian taken from an orphanage. This news became a subject of debate and attracted the attention of many people from the nationalist community.
13 Feb 2004

Articles on Armenian identity

In the part dated 13.02.2004 of his series of eight articles in which he wrote his thoughts on 'Armenian identity', Hrant Dink said: "The clean blood that will replace the poisonous blood that will be emptied from the Turk is available in the noble vein that the Armenian will establish with Armenia."
21 Feb 2004

Hurriyet's headline

With the headline "Sabiha Gökçen or Hatun Sebilciyan", Hürriyet newspaper announced the news made by Agos to the whole of Turkey. With this headline, the debate on Sabiha Gökçen and Turkish-Armenian issues became a nationwide hot topic.
22 Feb 2004

General Staff disturbed

The Turkish General Staff responded to Hürriyet's headline 'Sabiha Gökçen's 80-year secret' with a press statement. The statement declared: "It has been observed with concern that a section of the Turkish media, (…) has consciously or unconsciously and irresponsibly given place to unhealthy and dangerous ideas in order to replace Atatürk's nationalism."
24 Feb 2004

Threatening at the Governor's Office

Istanbul Governor Muammer Güler was contacted upon the request of the General Staff and the instruction of the head of the National Intelligence Organisation, Şenkal Atasagun. Hrant Dink was asked to be interviewed at the governorship. Upon the invitation of Deputy Governor Ergun Güngör, a meeting took place between MIT members Özel Yılmaz and Handan Selçuk and Hrant Dink, which Dink described as a "teaching Dink in his place".
25 Feb 2004

Complaint against Dink

A criminal complaint was filed against Hrant Dink for the statements in his article on Armenian identity published in Agos newspaper on 13 February.
26 Feb 2004

Dink the target of anger

A group led by Levent Temiz, the head of Istanbul Grey Wolves' Associations, organised a protest in front of the Agos newspaper and chanted slogans such as "Either Love or Leave" and "We can come anytime one night". In the press statement, it was stated that "Hrant Dink is the target of our anger and hatred" and a black wreath was left in front of the newspaper.
02 Mar 2004

Protection for Agos

Istanbul Deputy Police Chief Hakan Aydın Türkeli has decided to increase security measures around the Agos newspaper and Hrant Dink's house after the incidents. In her statement to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on 12 February 2007, Hrant Dink's wife Rakel Dink stated that 4-5 undercover police officers came to their house in 2004: "If you feel any disturbance, call us."
03 Mar 2004

Protest in front of Agos

Members of the Federation for Fight Against Unfounded Armenian Claims protested against Hrant Dink and his writings in front of the Agos newspaper by chanting slogans.
5 Mar 2004

He told about the threats

Hrant Dink wrote an article following the threats against him. He wrote: "What about me? I cannot say that I am not afraid… I cannot say that I am not afraid. But… I am not going to leave my country and run away. I'm already used to living like this. From now on, I'll live with a little more fear… That's all."
16 April 2004

Another indictment

An indictment was prepared by Istanbul Şişli Prosecutor's Office against Hrant Dink and Karin Karakaşlı, the Managing Editor of the Agos Newspaper, with the demand that they be sentenced to imprisonment of up to 3 years each on the charge of "publicly insulting and denigrating Turkishness" due to the article on "Armenian Identity" published in the 13 February 2004 issue of Agos Newspaper.
9 Oct 2004

Look at the Armenian

Yeniçağ newspaper published an article against Hrant Dink under the title "Look at Armenian". In the article, it was stated that "… Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who ignored the tragedy of the unarmed people subjected to Armenian atrocities, did not hesitate to speak against Atatürk with the encouragement of the EU and the submissive AKP government".
11 Oct 2004

He reported Yeniçağ's threats

Hrant Dink responded to the news in Yeniçağ newspaper in his column in Birgün newspaper. In this article, he told the story of an Armenian boy who took the name "Abdullah" in 1918 and lived in fear and said "I now feel like 'Lizard Abdullah' -not because I am afraid of being misjudged or cowering, of course-".
24 Sept 2005

Protest by Kerinçsiz

The conference titled "Ottoman Armenians in the Last Period of the Empire", which was planned to be held at Boğaziçi University but could not be held due to the " suspension of execution " decision of the 4th Administrative Court of Istanbul, was held at Bilgi University. Kemal Kerinçsiz, the head of the ultra-nationalist Grand Jurists Association, who had petitioned the administrative court, took part in the demonstrations, during which eggs and tomatoes were thrown at some of the participa

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7 Oct 2005

Conviction under TPC 301

In the lawsuit filed at Şişli 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance due to Hrant Dink's article on Armenian identity on 13 February 2004, Dink was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment on the grounds that "the article was not a statement of opinion made for the purpose of criticism, it was insulting and hurtful".
14 Oct 2005

Kerinçsiz and Küçük's complaints

On the day he was convicted, Dink said "This is a black stain on my forehead, if the judiciary does not correct this, I will leave my country and go away" and many people, led by Kemal Kerinçsiz and Veli Küçük, filed criminal complaints against Dink on charges of "influencing the fair trial", citing articles in Agos criticising the conviction.
January 2006

Threat by letter

A threatening letter was sent to the Agos newspaper under the pseudonym "Ahmet Demir", the name used by Mahmut Yıldırım, code-named Yeşil (Green), who has been implicated in unsolved murders. The letter read: "This is an open announcement: We will silence Hrant Dink, your son, you and Serkis Seropian so that you can never speak again. First your son. You will pick up his corpse from one of the gendarmerie areas outside Ankara. Gestapo Turk."
2 Feb 2006

Application to Prosecutor's Office

Dink filed a criminal complaint to the Şişli Chief Public Prosecutor's Office due to this death threat.
5 Feb 2006

Santoro murder

During a period of intense incitement against minorities, Andrea Santoro, a priest of the Italian Catholic Church in Trabzon, was murdered in the church during mass by a 16-year-old high school student. Similar to the Dink assassination, the perpetrator was a boy under the age of 18 living in Trabzon.
17 Feb 2006

Protest at the Panel

Slogans were shouted against Hrant Dink, who gave a speech at a panel titled "What is Freedom of Thought in the Light of Orhan Pamuk and Hrant Dink Cases?" organised at Akdeniz University. Kemal Kerinçsiz was also present at the meeting.
17 February 2006

Trabzon Police warned Istanbul

The Trabzon Police Intelligence Branch Department sent a written notification to the Istanbul Police Intelligence Branch Department with the information that Yasin Hayal was going to carry out an outrageous action against Dink and requested the necessary procedure to be followed.
1 May 2006

Supreme Court: "insulting"

In the appeal phase of the case in which Hrant Dink was sentenced to 6 months for the article he wrote on 13 February 2004 on Armenian identity, the Court of Cassation stated that there was no doubt that the expressions in the article were "insulting and denigrating Turkishness". The judgement, which was reversed on procedural grounds, was sent to the local court in order to remedy the deficiencies.
8 May 2006

Appointment of Akyürek

Trabzon Police Chief Ramazan Akyürek was appointed as the Head of the Department of Intelligence of National Police.
19 May 2006

Explains the danger of nationalism

Hrant Dink wrote about the dangers of the rising trend of nationalism in the article he wrote after the Council of State attack. He wrote: "It was not necessary to be a soothsayer to predict that the 'deep high engineers' who had set out to design the political distribution of the coming period… would try to generate politics through 'rising nationalism'. … The outlook is not promising at all. The heightened nationalism is in such a ruthless move…"
17 May 2006

We were going to kill Armenians

Yeni Şafak newspaper published a news article with the headline "Chilling Confession" claiming that Erhan Timuroğlu, who was detained as one of the perpetrators of the Council of State attack, said "If we had not been caught, we would have killed Armenians in Istanbul" during his interrogation at the police station.
02 June 2006

The threats are clear

Hrant Dink wrote an article titled "Do not remain unconcerned" about the news in Yeni Şafak. In the article he wrote: "For God's sake, you Minister of Justice, you Minister of the Interior, you Governor of Istanbul or you Chief of Police, open your mouths and clarify what this confessor said. If there is something important, say a few words like 'Measures have been taken, no one should hesitate' or 'What he said is a load of rubbish, no one should be worried'."
14 July 2006

Statements on the genocide

Hrant Dink, who expressed his belief that the relations between the Turkish and Armenian communities could be resolved through dialogue, gave an interview to Reuters News Agency in which he was quoted in the press as saying "Of course I say genocide".
September 2006

Trial for Genocide statement

A lawsuit was filed against Hrant Dink, Editor-in-Chief of Agos Newspaper, Arat Dink, Editor-in-Chief and Serkis Seropyan, Concessionaire of the newspaper, at Şişli 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance for the article titled "1 signature against 301" published in the 21.07.2006 issue of the newspaper. The article contained some of the words used by Hrant Dink in his statement to the Reuters agency.
Seprember 2006

Child of a missionary

During these trials, protests were organised against Hrant Dink in front of the courthouse, banners were unfurled and attempts were made to physically attack Dink inside the courthouse. Dink, who was subjected to attacks during the hearings, was also insulted with the words "You are a traitor like your ancestors" while attending the trial against Orhan Pamuk at the Şişli Courthouse. Hrant Dink's name was also on a banner outside the courthouse reading "Children of Missionaries". Kemal Kerinç

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11 Oct 2006

Application for protection

Patriarch Mutafyan wrote a petition to the Governor of Istanbul for the security of the Armenian community in Turkey. On 12 October, Governor Muammer Güler forwarded this request to the Istanbul Police. The police prepared a security measures document with the addresses of Armenian organisations and the Agos newspaper and distributed it to the relevant units.
12 Oct 2006

Warning from the Intelligence Department

Ramazan Akyürek, the head of the Department of Intelligence of the Turkish National Police, sent a warning to 81 provincial police intelligence branches against possible protests in Turkey in relation to the Armenian genocide draft law in the French Parliament. In the letter, it was stated that it was necessary to be vigilant about possible provocative attempts against Armenians and to closely monitor the groups that may overreact.ment of the Turkish National Police (EGM), sent a warning to 81

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05 Jan 2007

Starting a Challenging Year

Hrant Dink wrote an article titled "As we begin a challenging year" in Agos Newspaper. In the article, he stated that "it is highly probable that non-political state-centred forces will step in from different wings and provoke tension, … new cases will be added to the lawsuits filed against him and the Agos newspaper, and they will be tried again because of their stance and discourse on the Armenian question (…)".
12 Jan 2007

Dink's last cry

One week before Hrant Dink was murdered, he published an article titled "Why I was targeted" in the 12 January 2007 issue of Agos newspaper. In the article, "…Kerinçsiz and his friends went to the Şişli Public Prosecutor's Office and filed a criminal complaint against me…and here I was again on the edge of the cliff. Someone was after me again. I could sense them."
19 Jan 2007

HRANT DINK WAS MURDERED

Hrant Dink was murdered in front of the Agos newspaper building in Istanbul.
20 Jan 2007

Samast was arrested

Ogün Samast, identified as the perpetrator of the murder, was arrested at Samsun bus station
1 Feb 2007

Flagged demonstration

Following the publication of a photograph of suspected murderer Ogün Samast with a Turkish flag in the Star newspaper on 23 and 25 January, a 44-second video recording taken at Samsun Provincial Police center was broadcast on the evening news of TGRT on 1 February. An investigation was initiated after the broadcast of the footage.
5 Feb 2007

First inspector's report

According to the first report of the Civil Administration inspectors, the Istanbul Police  did not take the threat of murder received from Trabzon Police Directorate seriously enough and did not take the necessary protection measures. Investigations and disciplinary proceedings were recommended against Istanbul Police Chief Celalettin Cerrah and Intelligence Branch Director Ahmet İlhan Güler.
22 Dec

Investigation against Trabzon Gendarmerie

In the investigation carried out by the Civil Inspectors, it was determined that Trabzon Gendarmerie Command did not take any action even though they had received the intelligence that Hrant Dink would be killed by Yasin Hayal 6 months before the murder. It was stated that the intelligence received from Hayal's relative Coşkun İğci was recorded in the news records after the murder. The report stated that gendarmerie officers should be authorised for investigation.
26 Feb 2007

Istanbul's negligence

In the preliminary investigation report prepared by Civil Administration inspectors Şükrü Yıldız and Mehmet Ali Özkılıç, it was stated that although the murder of Hrant Dink was a predictable event, necessary measures were not taken. The report recommended an investigation against Ahmet İlhan Güler, Intelligence Branch Chief of Istanbul police, for negligence of duty. It was concluded that there was no need for an investigation against Celalettin Cerrah.
18 April 2007

Zirve massacre

In Zirve Publishing House in Malatya, three people, one of whom was a German national, were murdered and three others were wounded on the grounds that they sold Bibles and were missionaries. In the incident, which took place as a result of intense propaganda against minorities, 5 men who committed the murder were sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment after a 9-year trial.
20 Apr 2007

Dink trial begins

The indictment prepared by prosecutors with exclusive authority Selim Berna Altay and Fikret Seçen was accepted by Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court. 18 people, including Ogün Samast, Yasin Hayal and Erhan Tuncel, were charged with "intentional killing".
2 July 2007

First hearing

The first hearing of the case against 18 people, 12 of them arrested, related to Dink assassination was held at Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court. 4 defendants were released and the court decided to continue the trial on 1 October.
5 Aug 2007

Inspector's report

In the preliminary investigation report of the Civil Administration inspectors, it was stated that the police officers of Trabzon Provincial Police Department had fulfilled their duties and that there was no need to issue an investigation warrant against them.
29 Sep 2007

Tuncel-Zenit call

One and a half hours after the murder of Hrant Dink, the transcript of Erhan Tuncel's phone call with Muhittin Zenit, a police officer to whom Tuncel had provided regular information when he was an informant, was published. In his statement, Zenit said that the purpose of this call was to find out whether it was the Yasin Hayal group that committed the murder.
April 2008

Prosecution of the Gendarmerie

A lawsuit was filed against Okan Şimsek and Veysal Şahin, gendarmerie officers for negligence of duty. It is stated in the indictment that the defendants did not take the necessary action even though they received the murder intelligence from Coşkun İğci.
19 May 2008

Report protecting Istanbul police

In the investigation report of the Civil Administration inspector Akif İkbal, it was stated that the Istanbul Security Intelligence Branch carried out the necessary procedures within the framework of the legislation and practice regarding the letter of Trabzon Police Intelligence Branch dated 17 February 2006 and it was concluded that they did not have any responsibility.
23 July 2008

Parliament's Dink report

The Sub-Commission established by the TBMM Human Rights Investigation Commission on the Hrant Dink murder has announced its report. The report concluded that there was negligence on the part of police and gendarmerie officers in the murder of Dink. However, the report did not The report did not mention about any individual responsibilities.
10 Oct 2008

Prime Ministry report

In the inspection report of the Prime Ministry Inspection Board, inspectors Mehmet Akın, Ayşegül Genç and Yasemin Tuğçe İnan stated that Ramazan Akyürek, the head of the Department of Intelligence, and Ali Fuat Yılmazer, C branch chief in the same department, "failed to fulfil their responsibilities regarding the operation against the Hayal group and the protection of Dink".
January 2009

Sener's book

Nedim Şener published his book "Dink Murder and Intelligence Lies". The book claimed that "Dink's murder was planned under the control of the police for the most part". Before the Prime Ministry report was published, Şener wrote in his book allegations that exactly overlapped with the section of the report containing accusations against Akyürek and Yılmazer. In an interview, he said that he had written the book with information he had obtained from an experienced chief of the Istanbul polic

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15 Jan 2009

Erdoğan approved

Erdoğan approved the Hrant Dink Murder Report prepared by the Prime Ministry Inspection Board. Following this approval, a re-examination was requested by the Civil Administration inspectors against Ramazan Akyürek, the head of the Department of Intelligence, and Ali Fuat Yılmazer, the C branch chief.
15 Oct 2009

Akyürek dismissed

Ramazan Akyürek, Head of the Intelligence Department of the Turkish National Police, was dismissed from his position.
11 Nov 2009

Second report from the inspectors

In the investigation report prepared by the Civil Administration inspectors Mustafa Üçkuyu and Mehmet Canoğlu, it was determined that the officers of the Department of Intelligence of National Police and Trabzon Provincial Police Department duly fulfilled their duties.
11 March 2010

Istanbul at fault

In the preliminary investigation report prepared by Civil Administration inspectors Mustafa Ückuyu and Mehmet Canoğlu, it was determined that the Istanbul Police Department officials did not fulfil their duties duly.
19 July 2010

MIT confirmed the meeting

The Undersecretariat of the National Intelligence Organisation (MİT) sent a letter to the Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court stating that the persons who participated in the meeting held at the Istanbul Governor's Office in 2004 were members of the National Intelligence Organisation (MİT) and their identities 3.5 years after the murder.
23 Aug 2010

Erdoğan protected MIT

Prime Minister Erdoğan responded negatively to the request of the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office to include MIT members in the investigation on the murder of Hrant Dink.
14 Sep 2010

ECHR judgement

The European Court of Human Rights issued a judgement of violation on the grounds that Turkey failed to protect Dink's right to life and restricted his right to an effective application to the courts as a result of the application filed on the grounds that public officials neglected their duties in relation to Dink's murder. The Court said that public officials should be effectively investigated.
25 Oct 2010

Samast to juvenile court

The court separated the case against Ogün Samast on the grounds that he was under the age of 18 when he committed the murder. Therefore, Ogün Samast's case started to be heard at Istanbul 2nd Juvenile High Criminal Court.
14 Dec 2010

New judge appointed

The High Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) replaced the presiding judge of the Hrant Dink murder case.
18 Jan 2011

Arslan's book

Journalist Adem Yavuz Arslan's book titled "There is an Armenian: The Ciphers of the Hrant Dink Operation" was released. Because of this book, Arslan was included in the Dink murder case by Prosecutor Gökalp Kökçü in 2017 on the grounds of "conducting a perception operation to absolve the police officers from responsibility".
21 Jan 2011

Investigation against MIT

Following the ECtHR judgement, the process of investigating the responsibilities of public officials was accelerated. In this context, with the permission of the Prime Ministry, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office initiated an investigation against MIT officials.
7 Feb 2011

New investigations

Following the ECHR judgement, an investigation was opened against Muammer Güler, Celalettin Cerrah, Ramazan Akyürek and 27 others to investigate whether they were negligent in the murder of Dink.
2 June 2011

Negligence penalty for gendarmerie

Trabzon 2nd Criminal Court of Peace sentenced Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Colonel Ali Öz and Captain Metin Yıldız to six months imprisonment each and four months imprisonment each to four other gendarmerie personnel who were included in the trial in Trabzon on the allegation that they had received intelligence about the murder but did not act accordingly.
25 July 2011

22 years imprisonment for Samast

Istanbul 2nd Juvenile Court of Assize sentenced Ogün Samast to aggravated life imprisonment on the charge of " premeditated and deliberate manslaughter". Since he was 17 years old at the time of the murder, the sentence was reduced to 21 years and 6 months. He was also sentenced to 1 year and 4 months for "possession of an unlicensed weapon".
13 Dec 2011

Statute of limitations for Threats

Ankara Public Prosecutor's Office decided not to prosecute MIT officers Özel Yılmaz and Handan Selçuk for " negligence of duty" and "misconduct in office" due to the expiry of the statute of limitations. The Dink family objected to the decision.
17 Jan 2012

Judgement

In the 25th hearing of the case held at the 14th Court of Assize, the verdict came out: Yasin Hayal was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment, Erhan Tuncel to 10 years and 6 months for the Mc Donald's incident (acquitted in the Dink case), Ersin Yolcu and Ahmet İskender to 12 years and 6 months. Salih Hacısalihoğlu was sentenced to 2 months and 15 days, Ahmet İskender to an additional 1 year. Tuncel was released, Osman Hayal was acquitted. All defendants were acquitted of "membership of

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20 Feb 2012

DDK report

Upon the request of President Abdullah Gül, the State Supervisory Board (DDK) completed the investigation it had started on 28 January 2011. In its report, the DDK concluded that "there was a serious public service defect in the protection of Dink's right to life".
21 Apr 2012

Samast's sentence upheld

22 years and 10 months of imprisonment sentence given by the 2nd Juvenile Court of Assize to Ogün Samast was approved by the 1st criminal chamber of the Court of Cassation.
14 June 2012

The judge has changed again

With the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) decree, 2,335 judges and prosecutors were reassigned. Rüstem Eryılmaz, the judge of the Hrant Dink assassination case, and İbrahim Atasu, the prosecutor of the trial, were assigned to other places.
20 July 2012

Prosecutor changed

Hikmet Usta, the prosecutor who had objected to the decision of the Dink case on the grounds of "there is an organisation", was removed from the Dink case and appointed as a trial prosecutor at Istanbul 13th Court of Assize.
10 Jan 2013

Must be an organisation

The Prosecutor's Office of the Court of Cassation stated that the defendants in the Hrant Dink case should also be tried for organisation charges.
30 Apr 2013

Dinç's appointment

Engin Dinç, the Intelligence Branch Chief of Trabzon Police, who had turned Erhan Tuncel, one of the defendants in the Hrant Dink murder case, into an informant, was appointed as the Head of the Department of Intelligence of National Police.
15 May 2013

The murder was organised

The Court of Cassation overturned the acquittal of Yasin Hayal, Zeynel Abidin Yavuz and Tuncay Uzundal for "leading a terrorist organisation" on the grounds that they should be sentenced for "establishing and leading a criminal organisation". Yasin Hayal's aggravated life imprisonment sentence was upheld. Furthermore, Erhan Tuncel's acquittal for "instigating premeditated murder" was overturned on the grounds that he had aided Dink's murder and a verdict of conviction was requested.
17 Sep 2013

Trial resumes

Following the overturning decision of the 9th Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation on the Hrant Dink murder case, the proceedings resumed at Istanbul 5th Court of Assize.
23 Oct 2013

Tuncel arrested

The 5th Court of Assize issued an arrest warrant for Erhan Tuncel, whose acquittal decision was overturned by the Court of Cassation.
17/25 Dec 2013

Corruption operations

The corruption and bribery operations involving four ministers and their children on 17-25 December 2013 marked an important turning point in Turkey's political and legal landscape.
26 July 2014

Public officials will be prosecuted

The High Council of Judges and Prosecutors authorised an investigation against Ramazan Akyürek, Reşat Altay, Engin Dinç, Faruk Sarı, Ercan Demir, Özkan Mumcu, Muhittin Zenit and Mehmet Ayhan for negligence of duty.
14 Mar 2014

Tuncel released

Erhan Tuncel was released by the 14th Court of Assize on the grounds of "long detention period exceeding 5 years".
22 July 2014

Instrumentalisation of the trial

Fethiye Çetin, one of Hrant Dink's lawyers, commented on the developments following the detention of the police officers on the morning of 22 July and the headline 'Hrant would not have died if the Parallels(Gülenists) had not hidden the intelligence' in the Star newspaper on 14 July. Çetin stated that the murder was used in the 'fight against the enemy' and served to hide those responsible.
30 Oct 2014

Samast in organisation trial

Following the Court of Cassation's request for an investigation in terms of the criminal organisation , the case against Ogün Samast at Istanbul 2nd Juvenile Court of Assize was merged with the main case at the 5th Court of Assize where the other defendants were on trial.
December 2014

New prosecutor

Gökalp Kökçü, prosecutor for civil servant offences, was appointed as prosecutor for terror crimes. Kökçü also started to conduct the Dink murder investigation.
27 Feb 2015

Akyürek arrested

Ramazan Akyürek wasRamazan Akyürek was arrested upon the request of Prosecutor Gökalp Kökçü on charges of premeditated murder. arrested.
29 May 2015

Yılmazer arrested

Ali Fuat Yılmazer was arrested upon the request of Prosecutor Gökalp Kökçü on charges of premeditated killing.
9 Dec 2015

Indictment prepared

The indictment prepared against public officials was sent to the 14th Court of Assize. In the indictment, 26 defendants including Engin Dinç, Ahmet İlhan Güler, Celalettin Cerrah and Reşat Altay were requested to be tried.
11 Dec 2015

Gendarmerie to be re-trialed

The 12th Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation overturned the sentences given to Colonel Ali Öz, Captain Metin Yıldız, Hüseyin Yılmaz, Okan Şimşek, Hacı Ömer Ünalır, Veysal Şahin, Gazi Günay and Önder Araz for " negligence of duty" and ruled that they should also be tried for "forgery of an official document by a public official".
27 Jan 2016

All trials merged

The public officials case filed at Istanbul 14th Court of Assize and the proceedings against Yasin Hayal group at the 5th Court of Assize were merged. The cases will continue to be heard at the 14th Court of Assize.
9 Apr 2016

First hearing

The public officials trial, which was merged with the main proceeding, started to be held at the 14th Court of Assize. Muhittin Zenit and Özkan Mumcu from Trabzon police were released.
15 July 2016

15 July

The 15 July coup attempt was one of the most important events in Turkey's recent history.
16 Aug 2016

Öz was arrested

Ali Öz was arrested by Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of Peace upon the request of prosecutor Gökalp Kökçü on the grounds of negligence in preventing the murder of Hrant Dink.
26 Oct 2016

Dinç became Provincial Chief

Engin Dinç, one of the defendants in the case, was removed from his position as the Head of the Department of Intelligence of the National police and appointed as the Provincial Police Chief in Eskişehir.
25 Mar 2017

Ruling party move in the case

Istanbul 6th Criminal Judicature of Peace issued an arrest warrant for Fethullah Gülen, Zekeriya Öz, Faruk Mercan, Adem Yavuz Arslan, Halil İbrahim Koca and Ekrem Dumanlı within the scope of the Dink murder investigation.
24 Apr 2017

New indictment

Prosecutor Gökalp Kökçü submitted to the court a 122-page indictment against 51 persons, including officers of Istanbul Gendarmerie Command, Trabzon Gendarmerie Command, Samsun police and gendarmerie.
3 June 2017

Indictment accepted

The indictment, which had been returned twice by the court, was ordered to be accepted by the 15th Court of Assize upon Prosecutor Gökalp Kökçü's objection to the return decision.
12 July 2018

Öz's release

In the 14th Court of Assize, Colonel Ali Öz, who was Trabzon Provincial Gendarmerie Commander at the time, and Metin Yıldız, Intelligence Branch Chief, were released. Ali Öz was released with house confinement and Metin Yıldız was released with judicial control.
19 Sep 2018

Judges changed

Ali İhsan Horasan, the President of Istanbul 14th Court of Assize, was appointed as the President of Istanbul 1st Court of Assize. Emre Efe Şimşek, who was a member of the 25th Court of Assize, was appointed as the President of the 14th Court of Assize where the case was heard.
18 Jan 2019

No investigation of murder

HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party) MP Garo Paylan's motion for a parliamentary inquiry into the murder of Hrant Dink, which has remained unsolved for 12 years, was rejected with the votes of AKP (Justice and Development Party) and MHP (Nationalist Movement Party).
13 June 2019

Statute of limitations

The files of nine defendants, including Ogün Samast and Yasin Hayal, were separated by the 14th Court of Assize on the grounds that some offences may be subject to statute of limitations.
27 June 2019

Penalty request on organisation grounds

Prosecutor Mehmet Yeşilkaya demanded seven defendants including Erhan Tuncel and Yasin Hayal to be sentenced for "establishing and leading a criminal organisation" and "membership of a criminal organisation".
17 July 2019

Sentence on Organisation grounds

The verdict hearing was held for nine defendants whose cases were separated. The court found that there was a criminal organisation. Erhan Tuncel was sentenced to 99 years and six months, Tuncay Uzundal to 15 years, Zeynel Abidin Yavuz to 12 years and 22 days, Yasin Hayal to seven years and six months, Ogün Samast to two years and six months. The court acquitted Salih Hacısalihoğlu and Osman Hayal.
11 Mar 2020

Ateş was killed

The person who was killed in Düzce in an armed attack was identified as Şeref Ateş, a former intelligence sergeant in the Istanbul Gendarmerie Command, one of the defendants in the Dink murder case.
7 July 2020

Akın Gürlek presiding judge

Judge Akın Gürlek, who has presided over almost all political trials in recent times and acted in line with the political interests of the AKP regime, was appointed as the presiding judge in the Dink case.
14 Dec 2020

The prosecutor gave his opinion

In the trial of 78 defendants against public officials, prosecutor Muhammed İkbal Anar gave his final opinion. In the final opinion, it was claimed that Dink's murder was committed by 'FETÖ'. The prosecutor demanded life imprisonment for Ramazan Akyürek on the charge of "participation in the murder of a person" and aggravated life imprisonment for Ali Fuat Yılmazer on the charge of "'premeditated murder'". He also requested aggravated life imprisonment for Ali Öz.
24 Dec 2020

Oz was caught on the run

Istanbul Police Department announced that Colonel Ali Öz and gendarmerie officers Ecevit Emir and Emre Cingöz were arrested while attempting to flee to Georgia after the prosecutor's opinion on the case.
7 Jan 2021

Şahin caught in Adana

The 14th Court of Assize issued a warrant for the arrest of former Trabzon gendarmerie intelligence officer Veysal Şahin, who was taken into custody in Adana.
12 Jan 2021

Simsek caught

The 14th Court of Assize issued a warrant for the arrest of former Trabzon gendarmerie intelligence officer Okan Şimsek, who was taken into custody in Adana.
26 Mar 2021

Aggravated life imprisonment for Akyürek

At the 131st hearing, the verdict was announced. Akın Gürlek and his board sentenced Ali Fuat Yılmazer and Ramazan Akyürek to aggravated life imprisonment for "premeditated murder". Celalettin Cerrah and Ahmet İlhan Güler from Istanbul police, Engin Dinç and Ercan Demir from Trabzon police were acquitted.
1 April 2021

Objection from Dink family

The lawyers of the Dink Family objected to the verdict in the Hrant Dink murder case on the grounds that the verdict was erroneous and incomplete, disproportionate sentences were given and some defendants were left unpunished.
24 May 2021

Soylu's allegation

Former Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu said in a TV programme that mafia leader Sedat Peker was protecting Erhan Tuncel. HDP MP Garo Paylan requested that the allegation be followed up by the prosecutor's office. No investigation was initiated upon the request.
14 June 2023

Constitutional order trial

The first hearing of the new case against Ramazan Akyürek, Ali Fuat Yılmazer and Faruk Sarı for "attempting to overthrow the constitutional order", against Erhan Tuncel, Yasin Hayal, Zeynel Abidin Yavuz, Ahmet İskender, Tuncay Uzundal and Ersin Yolçu for "committing crime on behalf of an armed terrorist organisation", against Adem Sağlam and Yahya Öztürk for " intentional killing" was held.
21 June 2023

Upheld by the Court of Cassation

The 3rd Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation announced its verdict on the case. The sentences given to Ali Fuat Yılmazer, Ramazan Akyürek and Ercan Gün were approved. The Court of Cassation stated that the property inspectors sentenced for membership in an illegal organisation and aiding an illegal organisation should be acquitted.
25 July 2023

Application to the Constitutional Court

The lawyers of the Dink Family applied to the Constitutional Court after their demands regarding the Hrant Dink Murder Case were not met by the Court of Cassation.
1 Kasım 2023

Erdoğan participated in the trial

Following the overturning decision of the Court of Cassation, the trial started at Istanbul 14th Court of Assize. The Presidency of the Republic of Turkey requested to participate in the trial on the grounds that they might be harmed in terms of the offence of "violating the constitution". This request was accepted by the court.
15 Nov 2023

Samast released

Ogün Samast was released from Bolu F Type Prison, where he was serving his sentence, 16 years after the murder within the scope of conditional release.
21 Nov 2023

New charges against Samast

Istanbul 2nd Juvenile Court of Assize accepted the indictment prepared against Ogün Samast after his release. Samast was asked to be imprisoned from 7 years to 12 years on the charge of 'committing a crime on behalf of an armed terrorist organisation without being a member of the organisation'.
29 Nov 2023

The trials are merged again..

The new case filed against Ogün Samast at Istanbul 2nd Juvenile Court of Assize was merged with the case filed against 11 defendants at 14th Court of Assize.
6 December 2023

New trial continues

The second hearing of the trial against 12 people, including Ogün Samast, on the charges of overthrowing the constitutional order and committing crimes on behalf of a terrorist organisation was held. Ogün Samast attended the hearing via videoconferencing system (SEGBİS) from Trabzon. It was decided to hold the next hearing on 6 March 2024.
10 January 2024

The file is back with the prosecutor

In the retrial of public officials following the overturning decision of the Court of Cassation for 15 defendants, the 14th Court of Assize referred the file to the Prosecutor's Office for a final opinion.
22 January 2024

Investigation against Kökçü

All digital materials of the prosecutor Gökalp Kökçü, who wrote the indictment of the case against public officials, were seized in the context of the investigation launched after the bribery allegations against him.

The Actors

We are focusing on the notable figures connected to the Hrant Dink assassination: Despite receiving intelligence about the attack, Police Chief Engin Dinç, who was tried as a defendant for failing to ensure Dink’s protection and who presented reports on behalf of the police in the trial, has a career rising on political engagements. The story extends to Judge Akın Gürlek, the main actor in the government’s political trials, who ascended to the position of Deputy Minister of Justice after the case. Additionally, Prosecutor Gökalp Kökçü, known for his incredible plot-filled indictments, became entangled in the judiciary’s bribery network and was exiled from Istanbul. And not to forget all the public officials, journalists, judges, and prosecutors involved in the Hrant Dink murder case…

The Intrigue

Ramazan Akyürek previously held the position of Chief of Trabzon Provincial Police and later became the Head of the Intelligence Department.

Many speculative allegations were raised against Ramazan Akyürek. These allegations arose within the framework of his authority and responsibilities in the unit where he worked, such as employing intelligence officers, not reporting the information obtained, not fulfilling his supervisory duties and his relations with different investigations that shook the country’s agenda.

While most of the allegations are fictitious assumptions that are not based on any concrete evidence, others have been refuted by documents and testimonies during the trial. Above all, these allegations are only related to the proper fulfilment of his public duties. There is no evidence beyond assumption that Akyürek committed the act of ‘premeditated manslaughter’.

Without establishing the causal link, which is the most basic principle of law, a conviction has been finalised based on political arguments and extremely biased assessments. In order to better understand the tunnel vision and speed blindness that the court has fallen into with its so-called trials, which have turned into an operation to rescue the real perpetrators of the murder rather than illuminating the murder, we present to you Akyürek’s detailed defences to each allegation.

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