Attack on journalist | Assaulters dismissed from contractor company

* Photo: ANKA

Click to read the article in Turkish

After İbrahim Akkuş, a reporter for the Yeniçağ Samsun local news outlet, reported on the deficiencies of a public hospital opened in Samsun's 19 Mayıs district, he was attacked inside the municipality building.

Having attacked Akkuş, workers of the contractor company (Bayındırlar Construction Inc.) Kadir S. and İsmail Ş. have been dismissed from their jobs at the company without getting any compensation.

As reported by ANKA news agency, the surveillance cameras were examined by the prosecutor's office and it was found that Kadir S. battered journalist İbrahim Akkuş with a pipe and İsmail Ş. was one of the people who came to the scene of the incident in a vehicle.

A person who was not related to the attack on Akkuş, but was reportedly responsible for the deficiencies that Akkuş had reported has also been dismissed from the Bitlis-based Bayındırlar Construction Inc.

CLICK - Attack on journalist who reported on deficiencies of hospital

Non-prosecution for the assaulters' complaint

The assaulters also filed a criminal complaint against journalist Akkuş, whom they had assaulted. Having finalized the investigation, the prosecutor's office has concluded that there is no ground for prosecution.

Hasan S. and İsmail Ş. previously alleged that the assaulted journalist had committed the offenses of "actual bodily harm" and "libel", saying, "We were aggrieved as well, he attacked us and sprayed pepper gas."

What happened?

Journalist İbrahim Akkuş, who reported on the deficiencies of a recently constructed public hospital in 19 Mayıs district of Samsun province, was attacked inside the municipality building by the employees of the contractor company which undertook the construction.

After the construction of the hospital was completed and before it was opened, Akkuş visited the public hospital, which has a capacity of 40 beds and cost 15 million lira. Having detected the deficiencies and the defects of the contractor, the journalist then reported on his findings.

Going to the opening ceremony on June 21, Akkuş checked whether the related deficiencies and defects were fixed or not. Local newspapers wrote, "The 19 Mayıs Public Hospital started offering services with deficiencies and manufacturing defects today."

Following the opening ceremony, Akkuş went to the District Municipality of 19 Mayıs as he wanted to get information about the public works and settlement of the hospital. The employees of the company which constructed the hospital battered Akkuş inside the municipality.

İbrahim Akkuş used pepper spray to get rid of the assaulters. He went to a hospital afterwards and had a medical report issued documenting the battery he had been subjected to. The journalist has also filed a criminal complaint against the three people who attacked him. The suspects have been released from detention after their statements were taken.

Contractor company Bayındırlar Construction Inc. is now also constructing hospitals in Salıpazarı and Kavak districts. (HA/SD)