Azerbaijani journalists: Hrant Dink's murder is a provocation against Turkey

While talking to the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot," Mekhman Aliev, Director of the IA "Turan," has condemned the murder of Hrant Dink, editor-in-chief of an Armenian newspaper, and called it an anti-Turkey provocation: "I condemn any violence and terror against journalists irrespective of what the stand they take. I think that Turkish authorities should promptly detect the journalist's assassins, as the image of Turkey itself is at stake now."

Aidyn Guliev, editor-in-chief of the "Baky Khabar" newspaper: "Those, who committed this crime, had definitely aimed to make a blow on the image of Turkey. Not accidentally, this murder happened at the time, when the problems between Turkey and the European Union due to recognition of the Armenians' "genocide" have arisen."

Rauf Arifoglu, editor-in-chief of the "Eni Musavat" newspaper, has said that enemies of Turkey have killed Hrant Dink: "In this situation, I feel pity for Turkey only. The incident proves once again that very serious hostile forces are working against Turkey and the whole Turkic world. Indeed, the assassins have purposely chosen the moment, when the US Congress is preparing to consider the issue of the so-called genocide of Armenians. I can't exclude Armenian special services to stand behind this murder."

We note here that the Turkish police have captured three men in connection with Hrant Dink's murder committed on January 19. According to Turkish mass media, the killer was Ogun Samast, 17, a student. The young man who pled guilty wanted to take vengeance on the journalist for his publications on the Armenians' genocide in the Ottoman Empire. The police are checking the information on his membership in some organization.