On 20 March 2024, columnist Attila Aşut from the BirGün (https://www.birgun.net/) has found himself under investigation for alleged involvement in “financing terrorism” after sending money to a prisoner convicted of terrorism-related charges. Aşut, who was briefly detained in Ankara, Türkiye / Turkey faced questioning regarding his financial assistance to Süleyman Erol, a prisoner serving a 25-year sentence for affiliation with the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C). The police revealed that Aşut had sent a total of 600 TRY (17.26 EUR) to Erol, sparking concerns about his connections and motives. Aşut clarified that he sent the money solely for humanitarian purposes, emphasizing Erol’s educational achievements during his incarceration. Despite assertions of innocence, Aşut faced inquiries about his alleged ties to DHKP-C.
Furthermore, Aşut was questioned about his phone conversations he had several years ago with journalists Güray Tekin Öz and Erdem Gül, both of whom have faced terrorism-related charges.
Following his statement to the police, Aşut was released without being referred to the prosecutor’s office.
The South East Europe Media Organization (SEEMO) is monitoring this case.
South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.
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