Ultranationalist group raid columnist Memduh Bayraktaroğlu’s house

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Threatened by Ahmet Yiğit Yıldırım, the Chair of ultranationalist Idealist Hearths, a few days ago, Korkusuz newspaper's columnist Memduh Bayraktaroğlu has announced that his house was raided by a group of 5-6 people and they tried to break into the house by kicking the door.

Bayraktaroğlu has expressed his suspicions that the perpetrators of the attack might be the ultranationalist Gray Wolves, officially known as the Idealist Hearths, which is affiliated with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). Bayraktaroğlu has announced that he has filed a criminal complaint against MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli over the attempted raid.

The columnist has written about the incident on his social media account. He has briefly tweeted the following:

"Esteemed friends; a group of people with sticks in their hands and their faces covered in white cloths came to the door of my house at 11.01 this evening and told me that they came for a flower delivery.

"I asked for the phone number of the florist. As they could not give the number, I got suspicious and called the gendarmerie commander.

"I immediately called the Akyaka Gendarmerie Command and told them that a group of 5-6 people had raided my house and wanted to break into my house by force by kicking my door. [...] As I talked to the Gendarmerie Command loudly, they understood that I asked for help and they ran away from our garden together. Soon afterwards, the gendarmerie team arrived.

"I press charges especially against MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli, who ordered the head of idealist hearths to launch an operation against me. My evidence is the threatening message sent to me by the chair of Idealist Hearths."

Ultranationalist group leader threatened him

After Memduh Bayraktaroğlu criticized Bahçeli in a tweet, Idealist Hearths Chair Ahmet Yiğit Yıldırım threatened the columnist on Twitter.

Calling Bayraktaroğlu a "dog", Yıldırım said, "Don't have any doubts that we will put you on your leash and walk you around."

RSF: It must be seriously investigated

Making a statement after the attack, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Representative to Turkey Erol Önderoğlu has said:

"We condemn that a group of people with sticks in their hands raided the house of Korkusuz columnist Memduh Bayraktaroğlu last evening. The politics relying on violence must be brought to an end and this grave incident must be seriously investigated." (HA/SD)