Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul filed a complaint with the country’s Internal Affairs Ministry with respect to the promotion of Yakup Kurtaran, the law enforcement officer who was photographed with Ogun Samast, the murderer of Hrant Dink—the founder and former chief editor of Istanbul’s Agos Armenian bilingual weekly, who was gunned down in 2007 in front of his office building.

Gul had petitioned to the Police to ascertain the veracity of the aforementioned promotion. And when being informed that this was true, the Turkish President filed a complaint with the Internal Affairs Ministry, Radikal daily of Turkey informs.    

Following Gul’s formal complaint, the aforesaid police officer is not expected to be promoted, and he will assume a passive duty.

When Kurtaran’s photo with Samast was published in the press, a lawsuit was filed against him. But the court had ordered the police officer to pay a very small fine which, however, was later revoked.  

Also, the Turkish Supervisory Board’s report on Hrant Dink’s murder had pointed to the fact that those law enforcement officers who were photographed with Dink’s murder were not punished.