In a November 15 Today’s Zaman article, the father of one of the prime suspects in the murder of Hrant Dink claims that he received calls from government officials congratulating him for raising such a worthy son.

Bahattin Hayal, father of Yasin Hayal, accused of hiring Ogün Samast to do the shooting, spoke to journalists outside the courtroom in Monday’s trial; the 21^st hearing at the Istanbul 14^th Heavy Criminal Court.

Bahattin Hayal told reporters that bhe had reported the congratulatory phone calls in his initial testimony, but two prosecutors from Trabzon told him his statement could give him trouble and urged him to change his testimony.

According to the article, Hayal said that his son had no idea who Dink was. “Yasin didn’t know who Hrant Dink was. Erhan [Tuncel, another suspect in the murder] showed him a picture on the computer, telling him, ‘This is the Atatürk of the Armenians’.”