Dink case: Directorate of Intelligence personnel presenting defence

The case against the public officials, including Ramazan Akyürek, Celalettin Cerrah, Ahmet İlhan Güler and Engin Dinç, continues in Istanbul. 

Arrested suspects Ogün Samast and Ramazan Akyürek are present at the hearing, which will be continue until December 2.

In this round of hearings, police officers Tamer Bülent Demirel, Osman Gülbel and Ali Poyraz from Directorate of Intelligence are brought to the court room. Demirel, Gülbel and Poyraz are currently arrested as part of the case against Gulenists.

“Protection is not a duty of Directorate of Intelligence personnel”

Tamer Bülent Demirel, who was the vice chief of a section of Directorate of Intelligence at the time of murder, presented his defence.

He stated that the accusations against him are not based on evidence. He said that he had done what was necessary about the intelligence report concerning the murder of Hrant Dink.

“We knew Yasin Hayal”

Demirel said that they knew Yasin Hayal from the previous bombing attacks and they had carried out the necessary correspondences about him. Refusing the claims that they had hidden some documents, he said that the documents are in the archive and accessible.

Stating that protection was the duty of the Istanbul branch, he said, “I don't know anybody which was provided protection by the Directorate.”

Demiral also said that “an impactful action” means the same with “killed no matter what.”

“I wrote down the necessary instructions”

The chief judge asked whether he informed his superiors about the report. He said that he doesn't remember, but he had written the necessary instructions on the document.

Demirel also said: “You can find such incidents in every event. 100 people died in Ankara, tourists died in Istanbul. If you investigate those events, you would find similar incidents.”

After the lunch break, the hearing will continue with the examination of the police officers from Directorate of Intelligence.