Journalist Murder Suspect Threatens Orhan Pamuk

Politics | January 24, 2007, Wednesday // 00:00
Bulgaria: Journalist Murder Suspect Threatens Orhan Pamuk Hayal, a nationalist militant jailed for bombing a McDonald's restaurant in 2004, was brought to Beshiktash Judicial Court under high security measures. Photo by sabah.com

The man, suspected of masterminding the murder of high-profile Turkish Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, openly threatened the life of Orhan Pamuk, a Nobel laureate and Turkey's best-known novelist.

"Tell Pamuk to be smart!", Sabah newspaper cited Yasin Hayal as saying on his way to the court.

Hayal, a nationalist militant jailed for bombing a McDonald's restaurant in 2004, was brought to Beshiktash Judicial Court under high security measures, together with OgГјn Samast and four other suspects.

Turkish police have said that Hayal confessed to inciting the murder of Dink, who was shot several times outside his office. Hayal is also accused of providing a gun and money to Ogun Samast, a 17-year-old who has confessed to the shooting.

Around 100,000 people gathered on Tuesday in Istanbul for Dink's funeral.

Both Hrant Dink and Orhan Pamuk have stirred up anger in nationalists for their comments over mass killings of Armenians by Turks during the First World War. The two intellectuals have been prosecuted under Article 301 of Turkey's penal code, which forbids writers from "insulting Turkish identity".

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