2 October 2015

Journalist Ahmet Hakan was attacked by four perpetrators in front of his house. His nose and rib were fractured. Four perpetrators were detained while Hakan said “I will go ahead according to my own lights.”

Link: Bianet

Journalist, columnist and TV host Ahmet Hakan was attacked on the 30th of September by four perpetrators  in front of his house after he presented his TV show Tarafsız Bölge (Neutral Zone) on channel CNN Türk. Three of the perpetrators were captured last night, one of them was caught in the morning. Perpetrators were detained and taken to the Public Security Branch Office of İstanbul Police Department. Suspects A.G., K.E., F.E. and U.A. stated they quarrelled over the traffic and scuffled. 

Taken to the hospital after the attack, bone fractures were located in the rib and nose of Hakan. Hürriyet daily Editor-in-Chief, Sedat Ergin, Hürriyet columnist Ertuğrul Özkök and Doğan news Agency General Director Uğur Cebeci visited Hakan in the hospital. Ahmet Hakan sent a message via Sedat Ergin: “I will sit tight in spite of these attacks. I am not afraid and I will go ahead according to my own lights.”

Hakan had been threatened before

Justice and Development Party (AKP) İstanbul deputy, Abdurrahim Boynukalın, who had participated in the attack against Hürriyet’s building had said: “It was a mistake not to beat those (journalists) in the course of time.” Star daily columnist, Cem Küçük, threatened Hakan on September 9 from his column. Küçük said: "Ahmet Hakan is schizophrenic and a pro-PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) thief. He thinks he lives in the old times. We can crush him like a worm if we want to. He is alive right now since we showed mercy for him.”

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu commented Boynukalın’s words: “I don’t approve these kinds of expressions whoever made them. However, these remarks are not deliberate but amicable between youngsters and it does not represent a common intent, either.”

According to the news of Hürriyet, Hakan’s lawyers demanded protection for him because he was being threatened but couldn’t get an answer from İstanbul Police Department Protection Branch for 17 days.

Abdurrahim Boynukalın tweeted after the attack: “We are as clean as a whistle.", "We are not looters who are breaking glasses with stick and stones nor vulgar to beat a journalist in front of his house", “I wish Ahmet Hakan a speedy recovery and I hope the perpetrators will be identified.”

Many journalists like Hasan Cemal, Kadri Gürsel and Can Dündar reacted the attack against Ahmet Hakan via their twitter accounts. Hürriyet daily Editor-in-Chief Sedat Ergin: "Hakan had demanded protection against the threats but the attack wasn't prevented. Journalists haven't life safety in 2015 and they are much worried." (EKN/BD)

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