ISTANBUL, Turkey (A.W.)—Just days before the 10th anniversary of Hrant Dink’s assassination, Ali Fuat Yılmazer—the former head of Turkey’s police intelligence branch—said that the murder was “deliberately not prevented” and that security authorities in Istanbul and Trabzon were responsible. Yılmazer was testifying in the 31st hearing into the 2007 assassination.
“This murder was made possible on purpose and Dink was the victim of the killing. The police are guilty of misconduct on duty. The state did not carry out its duty,” said Yılmazer, as reported by Turkey-based Hurriyet newspaper.
“In terms of numbers, there is an organizational connection behind this murder. Most importantly it has coordination within the state. The mechanisms within the state did not move to protect Dink,” Yılmazer added.
During his testimony, Yılmazer explained that the assassination was planned in the Black Sea province of Trabzon Dink was murdered due to lack of measures that should have been taken in Istanbul. Yılmazer also said the earlier investigation into the killing “were closer to justice” and those arrested had been “silenced,” reported Hurriyet.
Yılmazer also denied claims that he was involved in the murder, saying that he had no connection with Trabzon authorities.
In his testimony, Yılmazer denied claims that he was the instigator of the murder, saying he had “no connection” with the Trabzon authorities and in fact he had never even been to the Black Sea province.
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