ISTANBUL. – Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Minister Ertugrul Gunay stated that Nihat Omeroglu, who was recently elected into the office of Human Rights Defender, does not enjoy the confidence of the entire Turkish society.

Gunay said he did not cast his ballot in favor of Omeroglu during the parliamentary voting, Istanbul’s Agos Armenian bilingual weekly reports.   

“The Ombudsman in Turkey should not be an advocate in a contentious issue so as not to damage the standing of the newly formed institution. The parliamentary voting was secret, but I openly said I will not vote in his favor. I had expressed my view even before the elections and now, seeing the public reaction, my view has strengthened further,” Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Minister noted.         

To note, Nihat Omeroglu was one of the eighteen judges at the Turkish Court of Appeals that upheld a shameful sentence that was given against Hrant Dink, the founder and chief editor of Agos, who was gunned down in 2007 in front of his office building.