Presidency's communications director sues daily Cumhuriyet over 'illegal construction' report

Photo: AA

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Presidency Communications Director Fahrettin Altun has filed a claim for damages against Cumhuriyet newspaper over a report on İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality's demolition of small constructions on a piece of land overlooking İstanbul's Bosphorus Strait.

Altun demanded a compensation of 250,000 lira (~36,420 USD) from the newspaper's managing editor Olcay Büyüktaş, reporter Hazal Ocak and Yeni Gün News Agency Press and Publishing Inc.

Submitting a petition of complaint to İstanbul 30th Civil Court of First Instance, Altun's attorneys alleged that the report "violated Altun's honor and dignity" and did not intend to inform the public.

There were "systematic smear campaigns" against Altun because of his public duties and activities, which "severely violated" his personal rights, according to the petition.

A proper leasing transaction was told with headlines such as "crime, illegal, fraud, demolition" and journalism was "used as a political and vindictive tool," the attorneys further said.

Cumhuriyet reported on April 13 that the municipality demolished illegal gazebos and a fireplace built on the land Altun leased from the General Directorate of Foundations. Such construction work is strictly prohibited in the Bosphorus area.

Citing the order access block on the report by a penal judgeship of peace, Altun's attorneys stated that a ruling has been given regarding the violation of their client's personal rights.

Altun requests 150,000 lira for the report titled, "Unlicensed construction in Bosphorus,"on April 14, 50,000 lira for "CHP: This is fraud," report on April 15 and 50,000 lira for the article titled, "Our crime is exposing a crime, catching out the illegality" on April 29.

What happened?

Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun rented the estate behind his house in the Zone with View to Bosphorus from the Directorate General of Foundations for a period of 10 years.

As reported by Hazal Ocak from daily Cumhuriyet, Altun had a wall built on the estate. While the wall could be seen from many angles, he also had the landscape designed with a road, fireplace and pergola.

The construction in the area was demolished by the teams of İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality upon the complaint of his neighbors on April 13.

As reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation into the news where Altun's residential address and photo were used on the ground that he was "shown as a target to terrorist organizations."

Reporter Hazal Ocak, photojournalist Vedat Arık, Managing Editor Olcay Büyüktaş and Chief Editor İpek Özbey from Cumhuriyet were summoned to give a statement as part of this investigation on April 30, 2020.

An access block was also imposed on the related news report as well as similar others that reported after it.

Shortly afterward, another investigation has been launched against three people, including CHP Üsküdar District Chair Suat Özçağdaş, in relation with the photographing of Altun's house in Kuzguncuk, İstanbul.

Summoned to depose by phone, Özçağdaş and the two others deposed to the prosecutor's office and they were released pending trial.

The attorneys of Altun have also filed a complaint against CHP İstanbul Chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu over her social media posts about Özçağdaş.

Examining the petition, the Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation against Kaftancıoğlu, accusing her of "praising the crime and criminal" and "instigating to violate privacy."

Kaftancıoğlu was also summoned to depose on April 29.

(HA/VK)