Similarly, the masterminds behind the murder of Abdi İpekçi, who was killed in 1979 by Mehmet Ali Ağca, the man who also shot and injured Pope John Paul II, have also not been found. Ağca was released from prison on Monday. Questions still linger concerning these two murder cases as well as the murders of many other important figures in society, and the masterminds and motivations behind these murders remain unclear, which increases the calls for the elimination of secrecy over such murders because they remain as dark stains in the history of Turkey.Radikal’s İsmet Berkan states that just as Turkey still continues to talk about the İpekçi murder even after the release of Ağca from prison 31 years later, it will continue to talk about the Dink murder for many years. He is bothered by the many murders in Turkey which are still on the country’s agenda and consciously left in the dark. “We could not cast a light on the May 1, 1977 incident [when dozens were shot and killed in Taksim during May Day celebrations], the Kahramanmaraş and Çorum incidents and the killings of journalists Çetin Emeç and Uğur Mumcu. Since these murders could not be solved, they have become legends, and we cannot learn from these cursed murders,” says Berkan.
Star’s Berat Özipek suggests that if the incumbent Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government has the slightest political prudence, it can see that solving the Dink murder in compliance with the law will not only restore confidence in the judiciary but will be a key that will take it out of a cage. Even though the government fails to see this, Özipek says it is everyone’s responsibility to think about what they can do to solve this murder. “When the commemoration ceremonies end on Jan. 19 and everyone returns to their homes, the sinister mechanism that planned that murder will continue its evil activities,” he says.
“The Ergenekon that killed İpekçi and the Ergenekon that killed Dink point to the same dirty gang. No distance has been covered regarding these murders. The tip of the iceberg has been broken, that is it. This is the dark face of Turkey,” complains Yeni Şafak’s Ali Bayramoğlu, who is very disappointed over the fact that no light has been cast on either murders so far, which he thinks were planned by Ergenekon, a shadowy crime network that has alleged links within the state. He says the circles who represent the dark face of Turkey and flourish because of that are the ones who are very disturbed about the transformation Turkey is undergoing as well as the cleansing of Ergenekon. He says if Dink were alive today, he would very much welcome the cleansing of Ergenekon, and this cleansing process is the bright face of Turkey. “I wonder whether those representing the Ergenekon mentality are able to see themselves in this clear picture,” asks Bayramoğlu.
