Journalist Agacik Tries to Prove Kicking

"Star" newspaper reporter Musa Agacik, who went to court saying he was kicked by the bodyguard of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in September 2003 in Istanbul's Dolmabahce, has been trying to prove the incident for the last two and a half years.

An Istanbul court did not find satisfactory an expert report prepared by Professor Cem Odman from the Mimar Sinan University. The court designated Sinan Binay from the Communications Department of Marmara University as the new expert.

The tape to be viewed with the new expert

During the hearing, attended only by Agacik's lawyer Erdal Dogan, the court decided that the tape, dated September 26, 2003 by Star TV, which shows the kicking incident, should be viewed on May 1 with the expert. The next hearing will be held on May 17, at 10 a.m.

Lawyer Dogan objected to the expert report by Prof. Odman, which said, "it cannot be seen what really happened in the chaos." Dogan asked for a new expert study.

"It is negligence to write up a two-line report on a very clear tape recording," Dogan told bianet. Agacik and Dogan had to withdraw their demand to listen to witnesses after failing to find any co-workers who would serve as witness.

The prime minister's bodygueard Murat Oksuz, who is being accused with kicking the reporter said: "I did not kick. The other journalist may have done so," in his statement to court. (EO/TK/EA/YE)