Being a journalist in Turkey: 5 physical assaults in 15 days

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In Turkey, which ranks 154th among 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index, five journalists were physically attacked in the first 15 days of January 2021.

A few days before January 10, which is marked as the Working Journalists Day in Turkey, İlk Havadis (First News) newspaper's grant holder and Anadolu'nun Sesi (The Voice of Anatolia) news coordinator İzzet Tınmaz was beaten by two unidentified people with sticks in Aksaray province.

The suspects stopped the car of İzzet Tınmaz and battered the journalist, which caused him to be seriously wounded in his wrist and waist.

While Tınmaz is reportedly in good health, he has said that he does not know the people who attacked him, adding that he had never seen them before the assault. One of the attackers told him, "I got pissed off by journalists", according to the statement of İzzet Tınmaz.

Around the same time, journalists Kıymet Sarıyıldız and Murat Uçkaç, who were taking the pictures and videos of a person arrested for drug dealing in Turkey's Aegean province of Aydın, were battered by the relatives of the arrested person in front of the courthouse. The journalists went to the security directorate afterwards and filed a criminal complaint.

Minister said it was 'for personal reason'

Lawyer Afşin Hatipoğlu, who is also the former head of the ultra-nationalist Grey Wolves (Ülkü Ocakları) organization and currently hosting a program at KRT TV, channel was attacked by unidentified persons in masks in front of his house on the night of January 14.

According to Hatipoğlu, the assaulters told him, "You will watch your words." In a statement after the incident, he has said, "I have filed the necessary complaints, I am following the judicial process. I am curious about the identity of the assaulters who have reminded me that I live in Turkey."

On the other side, Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu has alleged that Hatipoğlu was attacked for personal reasons.

Uğuroğlu's assaulters released

One day later, Orhan Uğuroğlu, the Ankara Representative of Yeniçağ Newspaper, was attacked in the capital city. While Uğuroğlu was about to get on his vehicle, he was attacked by a group of four people with sticks. The journalist was slightly wounded in his arm.

Four suspects were taken into custody afterwards and referred to the judgeship on duty over the assault on Orhan Uğuroğlu. However, the judgeship has released them on probation. (HA/SD)