Recent developments in Dink case

On Friday, the recent round of hearings of Dink case ended. Arrested suspect Ali Fuat Yılmazer, former chief of the Office C of Istanbul Directorate of Security Intelligence Branch continues to present his defence. 

Yılmazer pointed to Ahmet İlhan Güler, the former chief of Istanbul Directorate of Security Intelligence Branch. The intelligence report sent to Istanbul Directorate of Security Intelligence Branch was read “an impactful event against Dink”. On the other hand, the intelligence report sent to General Directorate of Intelligence was read “Dink will be murdered at all costs”. Yılmazer said that there is no difference between those reports: “An intelligence officer knows what impactful event means.”

Yılmazer also talked about Ergenekon cases. “The groups that we called dark organizations in the past are within the state now. That is why we live in an empire of terror now. No one goes outside. In this sense, the murder achieved its goal.”

The hearings will continue on February 6, 7, 9 and 10. Yılmazer will continue to present his defence.

51 people to be heard as witnesses

After Yılmazer's defence, the court will start to hear the witnesses.

51 people, including former Minister of Interior and Governor of Istanbul Muammer Güler, former police chief Hanefi Avcı, former police chief Recep Güven, former deputy police chief Emin Arslan, former Governor of Trabzon Hüseyin Yavuzdemir, former inspector Ayşegül Genç, former deputy chief of Istanbul Directorate of Security Hakan Aydın Türkeli, former chief of Istanbul counter-terrorism branch Selim Kutkan and journalists Nedim Şener, will be heard as witnesses.

The court will decide later whether former ministers Beşir Atalay and Abdulkadir Aksu and former chief public prosecutor of Istanbul Aykut Cengiz Engin will be heard as witnesses or not.