VZCZCXRO8147
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHIT #0048/01 0291447
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 291447Z JAN 09
FM AMCONSUL ISTANBUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8734
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK PRIORITY
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ISTANBUL 000048 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL OSCE TU PGOV
SUBJECT: SECOND ANNIVERARY OF HRANT DINK'S MURDER, 
AMBASSADOR CALLS ON RAKEL DINK 
 
REF: A. 08 ISTANBUL 370 
     ¶B. 09 ANKARA 64 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary.  Consul General and other consulate 
officers attended a number of memorial events commemorating 
the second anniversary of Hrant Dink's murder in Istanbul on 
January 19, 2007. During a January 22 courtesy call by 
Ambassador Jeffrey, Hrant Dink's widow Rakel and family 
lawyer Fethiye Cetin explained their concerns about the 
investigation into Hrant Dink's death and likely involvement 
of "deep state" actors in organizing the murder. Rakel Dink 
joined others when she noted that Dink's death has the 
potential of being a "cornerstone" for the resolution of 
murders committed by the Deep State and reconciliation 
between Turkey and Armenia. The trial of 18 suspects is 
ongoing; investigations into the complicity of security 
officials in Trabzon, Istanbul, and Samsun are progressing 
slowly; and Dink family lawyers have appealed to the European 
Court of Human Rights on several occasions.  End summary. 
 
Commemorations and the Ambassador's Courtesy Call 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶2. (SBU) On January 22 Ambassador Jeffrey and Consul General 
Wienercalled on the Dink family at the Hrant Dink 
International Foundation in Istanbul to extend condolences on 
the second anniversary of Dink's death.  Family lawyer Fetiye 
Cetin was also present at the meeting. The "Friends of Hrant 
Dink" and human rights organizations organized several 
demonstrations and memorial events in recognition of the two 
year anniversary on January 19.  Members of the mission had 
attended a gathering in front of Agos newspaper, and the 
Consul General, PolOff, and APAO attended a memorial concert 
on the evening of January 19. Hrant Dink's widow Rakel Dink 
expressed her hope that the new U.S. administration will 
foster a more democratic and peaceful world, one which 
exposes "deep state gangs" and promotes human rights. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Rakel Dink emphasized to the Ambassador that the 
murder was unexpected despite the threats the Dink family 
received at the time because of Turkey's development and 
future prospects.  "Why would they cut their own rope to hang 
themselves?" She expressed hope that Hrant's death would 
allow an understanding of the operation of the Deep State and 
those who killed him, referring to his death as a cornerstone 
to such an investigation. However, Rakel Dink told the 
Ambassador, "We stay here because we love this country. We 
are part of this country. But can you tell us, are we safe 
here now?" 
 
¶4. (SBU) The second anniversary of Hrant Dink's murder 
prompted a great deal of soul-searching in the media. 
According to "Hurriyet Daily News" journalist Vercihan 
Ziflioglu, Dink's death caused the Turkish public to "wonder 
about the Armenian people who they had been living beside for 
hundreds of years, and also to question the past." 
Conservative columnist Abdurrahman Dilipak of "Vakit" said 
Dink's murder had a positive impact: "Instead of being a 
cause of new hostility between the two societies, Hrant's 
blood provided an opportunity to decipher the deep state." 
Other intellectuals and columnists labeled Dink's death a 
"milestone" in the path for a solution to the problem of 
antipathy between Armenians and Turks and the Deep State and 
modern Turkey. 
 
Current Case Status - Many Trials and Investigations 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The trial against 18 men accused of participating in 
the murder of Hrant Dink began on July 2, 2007 in Istanbul 
(Ref A). Eighteen-year old gunman Ogun Samast, as well as 
Trabzon residents Erhan Tuncel and Yasin Hayal, are among 
those being tried as the main actors in the murder. The last 
hearing occurred on January 26 and ended in a fist fight 
between Tuncel and Hayal.  Concurrent with the murder trial 
in Istanbul, investigations and several trials also took 
place in Trabzon and Samsun to determine the complicity of 
security officials in the plot. A report by the Prime 
Minister's office on December 2, 2008 found that the 
"Directorate for Security arguably failed in its duty by 
neglecting to place Dink under protection." The same report 
recommended that Ankara head of general intelligence Ramazan 
Akyurek be investigated.  Akyurek who was Chief of police in 
Trabzon prior to Dink's murder had reportedly agreed to allow 
Erhan Tuncel to work as a police informer. The PM's report 
accuses Akyurek of failing to ensure there was sufficient 
 
ISTANBUL 00000048  002 OF 003 
 
 
follow-up to the information he was given and of failing to 
coordinate the efforts of security services so that Dink 
would be protected. 
 
¶6. (SBU) On June 27, 2008, the Istanbul regional 
administrative court barred any investigation of Istanbul 
police chief Celattin Cerrah and seven other officials, 
including intelligence chief Ahmet Ilhan Guler.  The Dink 
family lawyers have brought three complaints before the 
European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and a complaint before 
the Turkish High Council for the Judiciary against the three 
judges who banned the judicial proceedings against Cerrah and 
his aides. At the same time, two Jandarma officers are being 
tried by a magistrate's court in Trabzon while six other 
Jandarma officials, including the head of the Jandarma in 
Trabzon, have been charged with negligence. 
 
Concerns with Investigations 
---------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) The trials and investigations in Trabzon, Istanbul, 
and Samsun each pertain to a specific and different component 
of the case and overall planning of the murder. Because of 
this separation, Cetin and other case lawyers say they have 
requested that judicial officials unite the various court 
proceedings into one case. This, they hope, would prevent 
investigating organs from being blind to the whole sequence. 
"If the period before and after the murder is not considered 
together with the murder, then the murder investigation will 
not reach any conclusions." 
 
¶8. (SBU) Immediately after the murder, Cetin explained, the 
Dink family and interveners in the case asked that anyone 
involved with the murder be removed from their duties or 
moved elsewhere. This did not occur and the allegedly 
complicit officials remained in their positions and were thus 
potentially able to present doctored evidence to the court, 
according to Cetin.  She specifically pointed to Jandarma 
commander Colonel Ali Oz in Trabzon who learned of threats to 
Dink from police informant Tuncel prior to the murder but 
ignored them, and has been accused of later destroying or 
doctoring evidence.  Additionally, she noted that police in 
Istanbul learned of the threats months in advance but did not 
investigate.  To hide this fact, Cetin contended that the 
police doctored documents to make it seem as if they had been 
investigating.  Documentation provided by Cetin and a film 
presentation on January 19 pointed to these additional 
concerns: 
 
- Lack of coordination: According to family lawyers, the 
Jandarma, police, and Turkish secret service did not share 
any information with each other prior to Dink's murder. 
 
- Perceived judicial complicity: The regional administrative 
courts did not allow investigations against Istanbul police 
officers and officials, despite a report from the Ministry of 
Interior accusing the officers of negligence. 
 
- Samsun police involvement: Jandarma and police officers 
queued to have their photos taken with Samast, posing with a 
Turkish flag and slogan, "The soil of thy motherland is holy, 
and it will not be abandoned" on a calendar. Two officers 
were prosecuted for permitting the pictures to be leaked to 
the press and for holding the accused in a police tea room 
rather than a jail cell. Other than these two officers, the 
Samsun Chief Public Prosecutor's office did not agree to 
additional prosecutions. Dink family lawyers have appealed to 
the ECHR. 
 
Murder Tied to Deep State - Ergenekon? 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) According to Cetin, the Ergenekon trial process is 
slowly revealing the standard operating procedures for 
murders committed by the "deep state," many of which bear 
similarities to Dink's murder (Ref B).  Missionaries or other 
'controversial' individuals are targeted, the murder is 
planned, carried out, and then auxiliary participants destroy 
evidence while the media diverts attention to what the media 
wishes the audience to perceive.  This is how Dink was 
killed, she said, and the auxiliary participants - the 
Jandarma and police - have lost or destroyed important 
evidence.  At the same time, according to Cetin, the media 
speculated that the murder might have been carried out by the 
Armenian Diaspora or foreign powers. (Note: The Dink murder 
is not currently part of the Ergenekon indictment. End note.) 
 
ISTANBUL 00000048  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶10. (SBU) Comment: There is little doubt that the security 
forces of Trabzon and Istanbul failed to protect Hrant Dink 
in light of the information they had received months prior to 
his murder. Without a unified case, however, it will be 
difficult to find those officers with prior information 
guilty of negligence or complicity. While a conviction of the 
accused murderers would be well-received, the family and its 
lawyers seek to expose the involvement of the "deep state" - 
an objective that may take decades even assuming the "deep 
state" were involved. In any case, Dink's murder has helped 
open the path for freer dialogue about Turkish history, 
unified parts of the population against nationalist rhetoric, 
and encouraged a warming in Turkey's relationship with 
Armenia. His legacy is one he could be proud of. End Comment. 
Wiener