A former Turkish Appeals Court judge who was a member of the supreme council that ratified a verdict finding Hrant Dink guilty of “humiliating Turkishness” was elected Turkey’s first public ombudsman.

The verdict triggered a series of death threats against the Turkish-Armenian newspaper editor and democracy activist that lead to his murder in 2007.

A total of 35 candidates ran for the post, with only three--Yavuz Erkmen, Halime Nuray and Mehmet Nihat--being selected for further processing by a Turkish parliament commission.

Omeroglu beat his competitors with 258 out of 279 votes in a secret ballot.

Nihat Omeroglu’s election as ombudsman has not been favourably received by a section of Turkey’s intellectuals and human rights activists.