Hrant Dink's killer abandons name change amid public scrutiny

ISTANBUL

Ogün Samast, the man convicted of the high-profile murder of Armenian-origin journalist Hrant Dink in 2007, has withdrawn his request to change his name after the media revealed the proposed alias.

As the legal proceedings against Samast unfold, he has taken an unconventional step by filing a petition with the civil court, expressing a desire to change his name to Ali Eren Karadeniz. In the petition, disclosed by daily Hürriyet, Samast justified his request, stating, "I was involved in a grave incident at a young age. Because of this, I have difficulties in society. I can't relax, I want to be forgotten."

Dink, a prominent journalist and the editor-in-chief of the weekly Agos, fell victim to gunfire in broad daylight outside his office by Samast, then a 17-year-old jobless high-school dropout.

Before his release, Samast applied for a name change in a Trabzon court, as revealed by his lawyer, Raşit Hodo. Despite a confidentiality order, the press managed to access the court file, leading to the public disclosure of the intended name change.

"Now, there is no point in changing the name after this. This person was trying to get used to social life," Hodo commented on Dec. 14. "We demanded the name change to live a clean, organized life from now on, but there is no need for that after being deciphered."

The lawyer announced the abandonment of the demand for a name change, stating, "We will give up this demand as well. Ogün Samast will continue his life with his own name. He can change it at a later date if he wants, but right now, there is no point in demanding a name change or changing the name."

Recently released from prison after serving nearly 17 years, Samast now faces a prison term of five to 10 years for his alleged ties to FETÖ, the group behind the 2016 coup attempt. The new case followed widespread public criticism sparked by his release last month.