Armed Attack Against Local Newspaper in Kocaeli

* Photo: Kocaeli Ses

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

An armed attack was launched against Kocaeli-based Ses Newspaper at around 5 a.m. today (April 20). While nine shots were fired at the administrative building of the newspaper, there are no casualties.

Ses, which means voice in Turkish, is a local newspaper in the western province of Kocaeli. The newspaper has both a printed and online version.

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Following the armed attack against the newspaper, police officers and crime scene investigation teams were referred to the area.

In a statement about the incident, the newspaper has said:

"The windows at the front entrance of our building have been shattered with bullets. Our secretary, who starts working early in the morning, noticed the incident. The Public Security Branch and crime scene investigation teams are still conducting their examinations.

"We expect that the perpetrators of this heinous and impertinent attack will come forth as soon as possible and this incident will be solved no matter whom it will touch in the end. While no one has been wounded in the incident, there is material damage."

'We are the only oppositional one left'

İsmet Çiğit, the Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper, has also spoken to bianet about the attack. Çiğit has said:

"The attack was carried out in early morning hours, they mowed down the newspaper's entrance, they shattered the windows. There was no one at the office as it was done in morning hours. We are now deposing to the police. The camera footage is being examined."

Noting that there are few local printed newspapers left in Kocaeli province, İsmet Çiğit has added, "We are the only oppositional one left. We are making news on every wrong act, from the amnesty law to the coronavirus and distribution of masks. But there is not a particular situation apart from that. As we are making oppositional news, we are getting on the nerves of some people a lot, which makes us a target for these groups. I see it from this perspective."

Önderoğlu: Violence made ordinary by politicians' remarks

Reporters Without Border (RSF) Representative to Turkey Erol Önderoğlu has indicated that they have not yet known what lies behind the attack.

Expressing his belief that the investigation to be launched into the incident will reveal it in its all aspects, Önderoğlu has said:

"We cannot ignore the fact that this attack is one of the consequences of the long period when the violence has been made ordinary by the remarks of the most senior politicians signalling that grudge can be born against journalists or it might lead to no consequences if media representatives were attacked.

"The spiral of violence that has developed in the wake of local elections on March 31, 2019 has become an obvious indication of that. Targeting journalists must be abandoned as a political gain - so to speak - so that the mindset of antagonizing journalists on the street can be changed. Otherwise, we are frankly concerned that this climate of harassment will lead to much graver consequences." (HA/SD)