Ahmet Ilhan Guler, the head of Istanbul police intelligence department, was removed from his position late Monday after being questioned for two days by investigators over claims his office had received information that Dink was to be killed. The office of the Istanbul governor said that Guler had been dismissed for safety of the investigation.

During his questioning Guler blamed the Trabzon police, who provided the initial information about the threat to Dink. Istanbul had been provided with information in February last year that there was a plot to kill Dink, which Guler said Trabzon police had failed to substantiate.

Private television station NTV obtained information showing that Trabzon police received other leads on the plot to kill Dink but did not pass them on to the Istanbul police.