Bakırcıoğlu, an attorney of Dink family, noted that the two-day time given by the court for statements as to the accusations was not sufficient and he would not make a statement. The court has started hearing the defendants' statements of defense.

 

The 113th hearing of the lawsuit filed against public officials over the killing of Agos Newspaper's Editor-in-Chief Hrant Dink was held at the İstanbul 14th Heavy Penal Court today (December 17). While the court board started hearing the statements of defense as to the accusations, Hakan Bakırcıoğlu, an attorney of the Dink family, took the floor first.

 

In the previous hearing held on Tuesday (December 15), attorney Bakırcıoğlu requested 2 months to 2.5 months to prepare the statement as to the accusations; however, Presiding Judge Akın Gürlek disregarded this request and adjourned the hearing for two days.

 

Sharing a brief summary of the 4-year trial in his defense, Bakırcıoğlu said that it was not possible to make a defense in two days. Accordingly, the attorney declared that he would not make a statement.

 

Following the statements of Hüseyin Yılmaz, Volkan Şahin and Atilla Güçlüoğlu, Presiding Judge Akın Gürlek announced that he would hand down his interlocutory judgement if there was no one else who would like to make a statement. Indicating that the defenses as to the accusations will continue on December 22-23-24, he has announced the persons who will make defense on the specified days:

 

Adnan Acar, Cevat Eser, Atilla Güçlüoğlu, Metehan Kadir Yıldırım, Muhammer Ay, Niyazi Malkoç, Rahmi Özer and their attorneys on December 22; Resül Kütükoğlu, Tevfik Cantürk, Ünsal Gürel, Ahmet Çetiner, Ahmet Faruk Aydoğdu, Ahmet ilhan Güler, Birol Ustaoğlu and their attorneys on December 23; Engin Dinç, Eyup Temel, Hacı Ömer Ünalır, Hasan Durmuşoğlu, Hüseyin Yılmaz, Mikdat Özbek, Murat Bayrak, Musa Yıldırım and their attorneys on December 24.