A Turkish journalist shot dead in the northwest of the country
Director and editor of a local daily in the town of Kocaeli, Gungor Arslan was targeted by an armed assailant in his office on Saturday.
Turkey is ranked 153rd in the world press freedom index of the NGO Reporters Without Borders. (illustrative image)
AFP
A local journalist was shot and killed on Saturday at his newspaper’s headquarters in Kocaeli, northwestern Turkey, local media reported. Director and editor of the local daily “Ses Kocaeli” (The Voice of Kocaeli), Gungor Arslan was targeted by an armed assailant in his office.
Seriously injured, the journalist died in the city hospital where he had been transferred. The police arrested the assailant, announced the prefecture of Kocaeli without giving details of his identity or the circumstances of the murder.
Erol Onderoglu, a representative of the NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in Turkey, told AFP that the journalist was investigating alleged corruption in his city. Erol Onderoglu condemned the attack and demanded that it be elucidated and that those responsible be “punished in the most severe manner.”
“Courage”
In his last two publications, the victim had criticized the mayor of Kocaeli, elected from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), for awarding tenders to groups close to his party.
Gungor Arslan had previously been physically attacked and indicted for his articles. “Many saw in him courage to deal with corruption cases,” Erol Onderoglu told AFP.
Condemning the assassination, the Journalists’ Association of Turkey called for “an end to attacks on journalists and impunity for those responsible”. Turkey is ranked 153rd in RSF’s world press freedom index.
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