State investigated whether the perpetrators of Dink murder are of Armenian origin
Right after Hrant Dink was murdered, Directorate of Intelligence investigated whether perpetrator Ogün Samast and instigator Yasin Hayal are non-Muslim.
A note sent by Directorate of Intelligence contains the results of the investigation. These results show that the state has an immense archive about bloodlines of the citizens. This note was written on January 23, 2007; 5 days after Dink was murdered. In the note, it is stated that no evidence was found showing Ogün Samast and Yasin Hayal are of non-Muslim origin.
From Agos' perspective
Questions awaiting answer
Such documents speak volumes about the mentality of the state when it comes to Armenians. As can be remembered, last week we covered another document which revealed that Turkish intelligence agency reported the developments of Dink case under the title of “separatist activities”. The documents we covered this week are striking and startling as well. We see that state's intelligence units investigated the origins of the suspects after the murder and went back to early 1900s. These developments raise question marks in minds. We don't know whether they will be answered, but we will ask them anyway.
1- Do state's intelligence units investigate the bloodline of the perpetrators in each murder? Or, is it only the case when Armenian people are murdered? In any case, what is the purpose? How does a state investigating the origins see the citizens?
2- It can be said that the state has a database which enables them to trace the origin of each citizen back to several generations. In what kind of cases are these date used? Is the “origin” of people who want to be public officer also investigated? Where and why is such information used?
3- Couple of weeks ago, General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs orally informed that the procedure of ‘race code’ is abolished. Given these documents, can we really believe that this information is removed from the state system?
4- Last but not least: What would happen if the result of the investigation revealed that the perpetrators are of non-Muslim origin? Did they plan to send this information to certain newspapers? Did they plan to use it to promote the conspiracy theory which claims that Dink was murdered by Diaspora?
We don't know whether these questions will be answered. However, it is better to ask anyway.
