NTV MSNBC, Turkey
Jan 31 2007
Suspect thought Dink murder would remain unsolved
Hayal said he gave the murder weapon and 180 YTL to Ogun Samast, the
man accused of killing Dink.
Güncelleme: 18:17 TSÝ 31 Ocak 2007 ÇarþambaISTANBUL – The man accused
of inciting the murder of prominent Turkish Armenian journalist Hrant
Dink has told police he had not thought the crime would be solved.
Private television station NTV aired a report based on the
interrogation of Yasin Hayal, the man alleged to have planned and
incited the murder of Dink, who was gunned down in Istanbul on
January 19.
According to the report, Hayal said he had approached another man,
identified as Zeynel Abidin, to carry out the shooting, but was
rejected. He then approached Ogun Samast, provided his with money, a
gun and information needed to conduct the murder.
Hayal is reported to have said that he had known of Dink since early
2006 and heard about the charges against him on insulting
Turkishness. He had learned that Dink was an Armenian and the editor
of chief of the Agos newspaper on the internet.
Hayal reportedly told police that he sent Samast to Istanbul on
January 17 and spoke to him the next day several times when Samast
told him he was in position.
Hayal in his testimony said that Samast called him on January 19
saying he was in front of the office. Samast said he was feeling
stressed and could go inside to kill a few journalists.
According to the report, Hayal told police that Samast later called
saying he had killed Dink.