Was Journalist Hrant Dink Killed by Two People?

The so-called "Secret Witness 1" who apparently witnessed the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink on 19 January 2007 gave his statement to the prosecution in 2008. According to the witness's testimony, alleged triggerman Ogün Samast did not commit the murder on his own but was together with suspected instigator Yasin Halyal who also fired a shot at Dink while Hayal's brother Osman Hayal was keeping watch.

As reported by Nedim Şener from Milliyet newspaper, the statement was taken by Istanbul Public Prosecutor Firket Seçen on 23 August 2008. The record of the statement did not include any information about the witness's gender, nationality, age or residence which would allow conclusions on the identity of the witness.

Lawyers and secret witness located Osman Hayal

Samast stands trial before the Istanbul 14^th High Criminal Court as suspected triggerman, Yasin Hayal is tried on the grounds of incitement.

Interrogations of the police and the prosecution did not contain any record about Osman Hayal's staying in Istanbul on the day of the murder. However, the joint attorneys of the Dink family pointed out that based on the information on the mobile phone signals included in the file it turned out that Hayal was in Istanbul on the day of the incident.

Osman Hayal entered the murder case as the 20^th defendant. Authorities did not consider it necessary to arrest him.

"Both Samast and Yasin fired shots"

Footage from a local camera confirms that "Secret Witness 1" was at the scene of crime when it happened. The statement to prosecutor Seçen is quoted as follows:

"I was on my way to the dentist's a little bit further up the road from the building of Agos newspaper on the day of the incident. I was walking from Pangaltı towards Şilşli. When I reached the Akbank branch at the corner of road next to Agos newspaper, I saw Hrant Dink exiting the Agos building. Meanwhile, a person in his fifties came out of Akbank and I thought he had a quick word with Hrant Dink".

"While the person coming out of the bank was still next to Hrant Dink, two armed people approached Hrant Dink and shot him. One person fired from the back, the other from the front. Yasin Hayal shot Hrant Dink from the back, shortly after I saw that the person approaching and shooting him from the front was Ogün Samast. In fact, I identified this person as Yasin Hayal in my previous statement".

"Escaped in the direction of Şişli"

"Yasin Hayal ran off up the street, i.e. in the direction of Şişli. Ogün Samast escaped along the road of Akbank. I saw the person (Osman Hayal) that was shown to me by the police yesterday (22 August 2008) among the people that gathered around Hrant Dink after he had been killed. This person shook his head together with the other people around, then he even laughed and started running towards Şişli". (EÖ/VK)