The main suspect in the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink has been arrested, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said. The governor of Istanbul said police captured Ogun Samast, aged 16 or 17, on a bus in the Black Sea city of Samsun. Mr Samast was earlier named as the suspect pictured in security camera images near the scene of the killing.Mr Dink, 53, was shot dead in broad daylight outside his newspaper offices in Istanbul on Friday. He was well-known for writing controversial articles about the mass killing of Armenians by Turks during World War I.
Istanbul governor Muammer Guler announced the details of the capture in a live television broadcast. He said Mr Samast had been detained at Samsun bus station while apparently returning to his hometown of Trabzon from Istanbul.
The governor added that Mr Samast was carrying a gun at the time, and that six other suspects had been detained in Trabzon. All seven will be brought to Istanbul for questioning on Sunday and police are investigating whether they were part of a group, Mr Guler said.
| "Mahmoud, my #7 truncheon and my wrist brace, please!" "Yes, effendi! Will you take your mustache wax now?" "Hmmm, yes, it's going to be a long day!" |
The suspect was identified by his own father when he saw television images taken at the scene of Friday's killing. A clear image taken from security camera footage showed a man apparently running from the scene, tucking what officials said was a gun into his belt.
Dink's secretary told investigators Mr Samast had asked to meet Mr Dink earlier on Friday, before the killing, Mr Guler said. After the request was turned down, the secretary saw Mr Samast waiting on the street outside Mr Dink's office, he said.