Tens of thousands of people joined a funeral procession today for the Turkish editor who was shot dead in an attack most Turks assume was motivated by his unpopular views
The mourners marched five miles from the Istanbul offices of Hrant Dink's weekly Agosnewspaper - where he was killed on Friday - to an Armenian Orthodox church, carrying signs that said "We are all Hrant Dinks" in Turkish and Armenian. Mr Dink was of Armenian descent.
His daughter Sera wept as she walked in front of his coffin, carrying a picture of her father. Onlookers clapped in tribute as the hearse passed and tossed flowers from windows overhead.
The funeral shut down the centre of Istanbul, forcing thousands to walk to work.
Police are questioning seven suspects, including a teenager, Ogun Samast, who has confessed to fatally shooting Mr Dink, and Yasin Hayal, a nationalist militant. Mr Hayal has confessed to providing a gun and money to the teenager, police say.
The suspects also included a university student who allegedly "inspired" the attack, a newspaper reported today.
Most Turks assume Mr Dink (52) was targeted for his columns saying the killing of ethnic Armenians by Turks in the early 20th century was genocide. Nationalists consider such statements an insult to Turkey's honour and a threat to its unity.
Much of Turkey's once-influential Armenian population was killed or driven out beginning around 1915 in what an increasing number of nations are calling the first genocide of the 20th century.
AP