He was caught in Samsun, apparently headed home, in possession of a gun. On Sunday prosecutors said that Samast had confessed to shooting Dink during initial interrogation. Samast claimed that he wanted to kill Dink because he was 'humiliating Turkish identity,' referring to statements the prominent Turkish-Armenian journalist had made three years ago. The alleged killer's youth has raised questions as to whether any mastermind or organizations were behind the murder. Indeed, police have arrested six more people in connection whom there are questioning. Hrant Dink was subject to numerous threats as well as a legal campaign initiated by nationalist lawyers for his writings on being an Armenian Turk. There are differing views suggesting this murder was either planned by some organization or was the work of an amateur killer.Bugün's Emin Pazarcı rejects claims that Dink's murder was planned by some organization or by Turkey's so-called 'deep state.' He thinks these allegations are nothing more than conspiracy theories. If Samast had been a professional killer, says Parzarcı, he would have noticed the security cameras in the neighborhood and would have avoided them. A professional killer would not have worn such a conspicuous hat at the time of the murder and still be wearing the same hat when he was caught the next day. Pazarcı adds that a killer with the support of an organization does not travel by bus, as Samast did, on his way to his hometown; he would not be carrying the gun with which he committed the murder, and, most importantly, killers who are members of an organization do not confess their crimes immediately after being arrested. "It is apparent that Ogün Samast is a psychopath and poor guy. He might have been motivated or abused by people around him. But all these things do not change the result," explains Pazarcı. He concludes that Dink's murder was the job of an amateur killer and has nothing to do with professionalism.
Milliyet's Taha Akyol shares Pazarcı's view in that there is no organization behind Samast. He also calls allegations of 'deep state' involvement conspiracy theories. The numerous unprofessional attributes of the crime also ring true for Akyol. "If a 17-year-old boy is full of hatred to the point of killing somebody, he can simply find a Beretta and kill a man. The presence of a few other guys will be enough to help him," urges Akyol. But he still thinks that the judiciary should investigate every possible option in Dink's murder.
Vatan's Güngör Mengi is at odds with other columnists about the planning of this murder by a 17-year-old boy. He explains that secret organizations deliberately prefer to use people like Samast who do not seem intelligent. He thinks it is impossible that Samast could afford to buy a weapon which costs $1,000 while arrested he was only carrying $1. Furthermore, Mengi explains that Samast went to Istanbul by plane three times in a month. How could he manage to afford the travel costs if there was no organization behind him, says Mengi. "It is unlikely for a 17-year-old boy to find a weapon, travel to İstanbul from his hometown of Trabzon, find his target in such a big city and kill his target without any outside help," urges Mengi. He adds that Trabzon is steeped in a radical nationalist environment that sacrifices youth for nationalist hatred. According to Mengi, this reveals that there are some other reasons and powers behind the murder. "I hope that the security forces who arrested the killer will show the same success in finding the real address of the evil," concludes Mengi.
