Expert Report Charges "Istanbul Police As a Whole" for Negligence

Despite an expert report charging the Istanbul Police Force with wrongdoing at all levels of the hierachy, only one person A. Ilhan Güler, the head of the intelligence unit, is brought under investigation, complains "The Hrant Dink Murder Monitoring Commission", a volunteer group comprising of lawyers, researchers and right activists.

According to Turkish administrative procedures, public servants may be brought to justice for charges related to their duties only after the consent of their seniors. In Istanbul the highest state officer is the governor of Istanbul.

The group, particularly relies on a report by an official expert  committee, reading  "there may be responsibility from the lowest to the highest level [of Istanbul police] for negligence of their to control the events ."

The monitoring commission, relying on the report and other facts and documents in the Hrant Dink murder case files further points to other irregularities in the operating of the Istanbul police:

• The charges by the Trabzon police that Istanbul police did not seriously investigate their information that defendant Yasin Hayal may kill Hrant Dink is under investigation.

• On 28 August 2007, the Istanbul Governor's Office gave permission for A. Ilhan Güler to be investigated, yet denied permission to investigate Chief of Police Celalettin Cerrah.

• The lawyers for the Dink family objected to this decision at the Istanbul Regional Administrative Court, but the objection was overruled.

• The court, after further examination decided to allow Güler's investigation. However, the lawyers have still not been informed of the court's final decision.

• Whereas, the two experts in their report say: "Relying on the committed and neglected operations in this case, we have arribved at the conclusion that the officers and their superiors in the Police Force, from the lowest to the highest level, may be responsible, according to penal and discipline law, for not fulfilling their duty of control."

• Despite this report, only head of intelligence Güler is to be investigated. (TK/AG)