Journalist Attacked for News on Smuggling

Journalist Selahattin Kaçuru, reporter for the Anatolian News Agency and the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), went to the Gürbulak Entry Point on the Turkish-Iranian border to investigate a news story on narcotics seized in the course of a recent operation of teams against smuggling and organized crime.

The Turkish news site Diyadinnet.com reported on 25 April that Kaçuru presented his ID in order to enter the customs area to be able to research the news. Reportedly, the journalist was exposed to verbal and physical attacks of a customs enforcement officer thereupon.

Kaçuru applied to the customs police subsequently. When his complaint remained unanswered, he obtained a medical report from the Doğubayazıt State Hospital and lodged a complaint at the prosecutor's office.

Journalists from the district made an announcement on the DogubayazıtGazetesi.com website ('Doğubayazıt newspaper'). They condemned the attack, saying "The members of the custom office took revenge on the journalist for their colleagues who were arrested throughout the operation" (HK/EÖ/VK)