13 years on, impunity lingers in Armenian-Turkish journalist murder case

Duvar English

Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink was commemorated on the 13th anniversary of his death on Jan. 19 in Istanbul's Şişli district, as crowds chanted slogans calling for justice in the case into his murder.

"It's not late to be ashamed," read a banner hanging on the former building of the Istanbul-based Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos, where Dink was killed 13 years ago.

"We are all Hrant, we are all Armenian," chanted the crowd gathered to commemorate Dink.

Dink, the editor-in-chief of Agos, was shot dead at the age of 52 in broad daylight by an ultranationalist outside his office in central Istanbul on Jan. 19, 2007.

Ogün Samast, then a 17-year-old jobless high-school dropout, confessed to the killing and was sentenced to almost 23 years in jail back in 2011.

The case grew into a wider scandal after it emerged that security forces had been aware of a plot to kill Dink but failed to act.

Relatives and followers of the case have long claimed government officials, police, military personnel and members of the National Intelligence Agency (MİT) played a role in Dink’s murder by neglecting their duty to protect the journalist.

The final result of Dink's murder case has long been awaited, with his family and friends continuing on the quest for justice. A total of 77 suspects are on trial as part of the case.

Some 102 hearings of the case were held in the past 13 years, with the 103rd set to be held on Feb. 18.

Every year on Jan. 19, thousands gather in front of the building, where Dink was killed to commemorate the slain journalist.

During this year's commemorations, crowds urged authorities to reveal those behind the murder.

"Those who protect murderers are partners to this murder. This case won't be closed until we say so," the statement released to mark the day said.

Meanwhile, Selahattin Demirtaş, the jailed former co-chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), penned a letter to commemorate Dink.