11 years on, friends of murdered Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink still seek justice

ISTANBUL

Crowds flocked to the former address of Turkish-Armenian weekly newspaper Agos in Istanbul’s Şişli district on Jan. 19 to commemorate the late journalist Hrant Dink on the 11th anniversary of his assassination.

Dink was shot dead with three bullets on Jan. 19, 2007, at around 3 p.m. in front Agos’ then-main office, located on the Halaskargazi Street in Şişli.

Every year since then mourners have attended a commemoration ceremony for him, laying carnations at the spot where he was killed. This year placards reading “Justice for Hrant” were attached to the former newspaper building.

Before the commemoration ceremony kicked off, police closed off the Halaskargazi Street and side streets linking to it to traffic.

Police officers allowed people wishing to join the ceremony to enter through barricades, subjecting them to brief security searches.

Despite 11 years having passed, little progress has been made regarding Dink’s case.

Ogün Samast, who was aged 17 at the time of the shooting, was jailed for 23 years in 2011 for the killing. But speculation about the involvement of other groups inside and outside the state apparatus has persisted, and a number of slow-moving investigations are still ongoing.