Istanbul, Jan 21: A teenager detained over the slaying of an ethnic Armenian journalist has confessed to the killing, the state-run Anatolia news agency quoted a chief prosecutor as saying on Sunday.

Police captured the suspect -- identified as Ogun Samast -- in the black sea city of Samsun late yesterday, a day after Hrant Dink was gunned down in broad daylight outside his newspaper's office in Istanbul.

The slaying stunned the nation and highlighted the precarious state of freedom of expression in a country that is vying for European Union membership.

Police said the youth was captured following a tip from his father after pictures were broadcast on Turkish television. Chief Prosecutor Ahmet Cokcinar told Anatolia the teenager had confessed to killing dink during initial questioning in Samsun. Anatolia did not mention any possible motives and the prosecutor could not immediately be reached for comment.

Samast, who is 16 or 17 years old, was apparently on his way by bus from Istanbul back to his home town of Trabzon when he was caught. Police escorted him on a private plane back to Istanbul where he was taken to a police station for further questioning, police said.

The photograph, taken by a security camera two blocks from the scene of Dink's shooting, had been broadcast across turkey, and showed the suspect allegedly toting a gun and running from the scene.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Samast was arrested with the gun believed to have been used in the killing.

zeenews.com