Dink murder suspect lawyer insulted joint attorneys and Armenian nation

PanARMENIAN.Net - At the Hrant Dink murder fourth hearing at the Istanbul 14th Heavy Penal Court on 25 February, suspect Ersin Yolcu was questioned in the morning. He stands accused of aiding and abetting the crime and faces 15 to 20 years imprisonment.



During the lunch break of the hearing, suspect Yasin Hayal's lawyer Fuat Turgut, known for his ultranationalist leanings and aggressive manner, insulted the joint attorneys. He also insulted Armenians in general. The joint attorneys demanded that the court president remove Turgut

One of the joint attorneys, Kezban Hatemi, told journalists during the break that gunman suspect Ogun Samast had insulted her.



The lawyers for the Dink family had made three demands prior to the hearing: Arguing that the minutes of the hearing were insufficient to prepare their case, they have requested access to the recording of the hearing. The third hearing of the case was recorded and recording will continue during the case.



According to Fethiye Cetin, one of the joint attorneys, the refusal to unite the cases is protecting the criminal organization behind the murder. The request of joint attorneys to have access to the CD recordings (audio and visual) of the third hearing on 11 February was also refused by the court.



Lawyer Cetin criticized the fact that the court has freed four suspects from attending court hearings despite the fact that gendarmerie informant Coskun Igci, Irfan Ozkan and Erbil Susaman have not been questioned yet.



Igci has also given a statement in the Trabzon trial against police intelligence officers, saying, "I told them about the murder plans four months earlier." He is still to be questioned in Istanbul.



At the hearing yesterday, suspects Yasar Cihan, Halis Egemen, Salih Hacisalihoglu, Ersin Yolcu, Ahmet Iskender, Mustafa Ozturk and Alper Esirgemez were cross-examined, BIA Turkish news agency reports.