No inadequacies in Dink investigation, claim inspectors

Today's Zaman, Turkey
Jan 1 2008
No inadequacies in Dink investigation, claim inspectors

[compare this official report with previous article]

A highly controversial investigation into the murder of Turkish
Armenian journalist Hrant Dink which involved a number of
contradictions has no loopholes, according to the Prime Ministry's
Inspection Council.

Dink was shot dead by an ultra-nationalist teenager outside his
office on Jan. 19. Throughout the investigation, a number of
suspicious points hinting at police involvement have led the Dink
family to conclude that the assassination was being covered up by
either the police or the judiciary -- or maybe both. Rakel Dink, the
slain journalist's wife, had applied to the Prime Ministry's
Inspection Council regarding the suspicions around the investigation.
The Prime Ministry's Office responded positively to the application
and started an inquiry into the investigation process. After working
for eight months on the application, the Prime Ministry office's
inspectors concluded that there were no loopholes in the
investigation.

The inspectors based their finding on intelligence reports, phone
conversation transcripts and official correspondences between the
Police Department of Trabzon and Ýstanbul. Dink's killer was from
Trabzon. Another prime suspect in the operation, who was the one the
assassin said incited him, was a police informant with the Trabzon
police. The investigation had revealed that the Ýstanbul police had
been tipped off about the plans to kill Dink many times.

The inspectors ruled that no document or information on any of the
suspects, including the former police informant, was being hidden.
The Human Rights Committee in Parliament is currently also carrying
out an investigation into the Dink murder.

Fethiye Çetin, a lawyer representing the Dink family said: `There was
no need for this investigation to last eight months. Some documents
are very obvious.' She added that she and the other lawyers hadn't
yet seen the council's report.

The New Anatolian, Turkey
Jan 1 2008
Academician responds to Armenian parliament demands
[showing how antediluvian some so-called academics can be in Turkey]

A Turkish scholar, who is also the chairman of the Association to
Fight Against Baseless Genocide Allegations, said Monday that
Armenian lawmakers were living in a world of dreams, while commenting
on demands of the Armenian parliament.

"Armenian parliament once again stated expressly that they will not
give up emity," said Savas Egilmez, a professor at Ataturk
University, in eastern province of Erzurum.

In a special session on December 19 and 20, Armenian Parliament asked
Turkey to annul article 301th of Turkish Penal Code and re-draw the
border between the two countries according to (the null and void)
Treaty of Sevres, Egilmez recalled.

"They prepared a bill of 14.5 billion USD regarding the incidents of
1915," Egilmez recalled. "They are living in a world of dreams," he
said.

Egilmez said Turkish people expect an apology from Armenia for
massacres committed by Armenian gangs during the WWI.

"In order to establish political and economic relations with this
country, Turkish people expect Armenia to apologize for massacres,
demolish the so-called genocide monument and remove several articles
and allegations (that are against Turkey) from their constitution ,"
he added.