Euronews.net, France
Jan 21 2007
Hrant Dink murder suspect confesses
The suspected killer of the Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink
has confessed to the murder. Ogun Samast, 17 years of age, told
police he had read on the Internet that Dink had said Turkish blood
was dirty so had decided to kill him.
He said he did not regret the killing. Samast was identified after
his father informed authorities that the suspect shown on television
was his son.
The police investigation is continuing – six other people are also
being held. Prime Minister Tayyip Recep Erdogan said he was pleased
the suspect had been brought into police custody in such a short
time.
The killing has shocked people across the country.
One man in Ankara said: "I feel happy the murderer has been captured
as much as I feel sad at Hrant Dink’s death".
A member of Istanbul’s small Turkish-Armenian community said: "Our
pain is so great because Hrant meant something to us. We Turkish
Armenians living here are really scared by the assassination and we
don’t know how this fear will go away."
Flowers and candles now adorn the street in Istanbul where Dink, the
editor of a Turkish-Armenian weekly, was gunned down on Friday.