Akyürek Deposed from Office - Severe Neglect in Dink Case

Chief of Police General Directory Intelligence Office Ramazan Akyürek was deposed from office. He is accused of remaining passive prior to the murder of journalist Hrant Dink in 2007 instead of having taken measures to protect the Agos newspaper editor's life.

At the time of the murder Akyürek was chief of police in Trabzon and had made Erhan Tuncel a police informant with the help of a faculty member. Tuncel is prosecuted in the Ergenekon case for persuading others to commit a crime.

Pity for Erhan Tuncel...

Akyürek had made the following statement about Tuncel before the Parliamentary Human Rights Investigation Commission: "Tuncel is a person who informed us about an incident that is very important for Turkey and gives the state a headache for over one year now; an incident which upset everyone and was also handled quite roughly by the international media. Erhan Tuncel was treated too rough by the media, I feel pity for him as a state officer".

Akyürek demands prosecution of journalist Şener

Akyürek was chief of police in Trabzon until 2006, when he left his position to Konya Chief of Police Hüseyin Namal and became chief of the intelligence office. He filed a criminal complaint against journalist Nedim Şener because of his book entitled "The Dink Murder and the Lies of the Intelligence".

Akyürek demands a prison sentence for Şener on the grounds of „an attack on personal rights" by the contents of the book and because of "the attempt to influence a fair trial".

Çetin: Decision came late

Dink family lawyer Fethiye Çetin was quoted as saying by the Turkish news channel NTV, "It is the right decision although it comes very late".

Çetin stated that Akyürek did not do what would have been necessary according to reports he had received from several intelligence units before the Dink murder regarding preparations to the journalist's assassination. Çetin furthermore argued that the issue was also influenced by illegally making Tuncel an undercover informant.

'Destroyed' documents might re-emerge

Çetin reminded that the Prime Ministry Inspection Council had issued a report concerned with several police officers, among them Akyürek, who did not their duty, "It was a big mistake and a major obstacle for revealing the truth that police officers, who paved the way to murder with intentional neglect, deficiency and mistakes, were still on duty. After the murder, Akyürek demanded information and documents related to the incident. It was also reported to the court trying the case that some documents had been destroyed. We hope and wish that the reposition of duty will provide the missing documents. I am sure that the documents claimed to be destroyed are stored somewhere". (EÖ/VK)