3 years passed after Hrant Dink’s killing in Turkey

This day, three years ago 53-year-old Hrant Dink was shot dead outside his newspaper's office in Istanbul.

Armenian-born Turkish journalist, editor of bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspaper Agos, Hrant Dink was one of the most prominent voices of Turkey's shrinking Armenian community.

In an interview with Aysor’s paper Bagrat Estukian, editor of Armenian version of Agos paper, said Hrant Dink voiced most pointed matters and was known all around Turkey. He said Dink had remarkable abilities to explain most complicated subjects in clear words.

Cause of articles dealing with the killing of Kurds and Armenians, Hrant Dink was among dozens of writers in Turkey who have been charged under 301 of Turkey's penal code with insulting Turkish identity.

Hrant Dink, editor and journalist, born September 15 1954, was killed on January 19 2007 by Ogün Samast, a 17-year old Turkish nationalist. The killer was reported to have introduced himself as an Ankara University student who wanted to meet with Dink. When his request was rejected, he waited in front of a nearby bank.

The Dink murder trial opened in Istanbul on July 2, 2007. 18 people were charged at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 14 in connection with the journalist's assassination. Since Ogün Samast was younger than 18 the hearing was not public. Reportedly the defendants Yasin Hayal and Erhan Tuncel repeated their testimonies given to the security forces and prosecutor. The court decided to release the defendants Osman Altay, Irfan Özkan, Salih Hacisalihoglu and Veysel Toprak to be tried without remand and adjourned the hearing to 1 October.

Meanwhile, 11 hearings have already been held without any result. Hundreds of solidary people, among them Armenians, Kurds, and Turkish, gather to voice their positions with posters reading “We are all Hrant Dink”, “For Hrant, For Justice”.

Next hearing is expected on February 8 2010. Dink’s case lawyer Fethiye Cetin told in a telephone interview with Aysor’s correspondent, if the upcoming hearing doesn’t bring a result, then they will apply to the European Court.