The Slaying of Hrant Dink

Even after Samast's arrest and reported confession, police continued to detain and question individuals in their investigation of the case. Yasin Hayal, an ultra-nationalist militant who served time for bombing a McDonald's in 2004, reportedly gave Samast the idea of killing Dink and gave him financial support as well as a weapon. Erhan Tuncel, a university student belonging to an organization with ties to the Islamist and nationalist Great Union Party, has been charged with directing Samast and Hayal in commission of the crime. Witness reports also disputed whether 17-year-old Samast was actually the one who pulled the trigger. As reported by Sabah's English edition:

"A female witness claiming that she was at the incident location at the time of event told the police: 'Yasin Hayal was there also. I saw that he killed Hrant Dink.' Meanwhile a video kept at the police department was shown to the family and lawyers of Hrant Dink. One person watching the video of more than 20 cameras in the region said: 'when Dink got out, 4-5 assassinators started to move. The group leader around the ages of 40-45 stopped him with an excuse. Yasin Hayal approached from behind; Ogün Samast approached from front.'"

Sabah also quoted Minister of Justice Cemil Çiçek in response to a question about whether the Dink slaying was "an act of a small gang or of a bigger organization":

"According to the information and the connections received up to now, it seems that this is an act of organization. Looking at the connections of Yasin Hayal soliciting the murder, it is seen that he is trained for terrorism purposes. He learns producing bombs at Azerbaijan and then on his return he produces bombs and tests them. He throws bomb to McDonalds and receives assistance from Erhan Tuncel."

Agos continues to receive threats against staff. But the current political climate in Turkey -- where Islamists and secularists are facing off -- is also one of increasing controls over the press and of online content. At one point the government yanked YouTube because the video-sharing site contained videos deemed insulting to the founder of modern secular Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and on May 22, 2007, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer signed into law a bill that gives the government authority to block access to Web sites deemed to be insulting to Ataturk's memory. Journalists who don't tow the official line regarding Armenian genocide also find themselves under threat from ultra-nationalists.

At the end of March 2007, threats were made against Istanbul-based Ôzgür Radyo by the same group (the Turkish Vengeance Brigade) that threatened Agos staffers the day after Dink's murder:

"Stop broadcasting separatist programmes. We are watching you and we know where your homes are. This message is our last warning. The Turk has reawakened and the Turk’s rage will annihilate those who aim to divide the motherland. If you do not stop betraying Turkey, your end will be the same as the others. Your destiny will be the same as that of the other traitors."

Turkish Press Council chairman Oktay Eksi told the Turkish Daily News that one journalist is killed in Turkey every year and a half.

Tensions remain high: After a Mass said in Dink's honor at Armenian church St Mary of Kumkapi in Istanbul on March 3, 2007, two youths were arrested for firings blanks to scare the crowd of worshippers.

Calls have also grown louder for changes to Article 301, the controversial law against "denigrating Turkishness," and the government has indicated it may be receptive to changing the law.

Dink's wife, Rakel, has expressed concern that the investigation into her husband's death is lagging, and that it will turn into a cover-up.

Though Dink was such an integral part of Agos, the weekly newspaper has seen a circulation boost and carries on Dink's legacy.