Turkish police have detained two men in connection with a video that threatened the life of journalist Murat Ağırel. The video featured a masked individual claiming that a contract had been put out on Ağırel’s life.
The General Directorate of Security (Emniyet Genel Müdürlüğü, www.egm.gov.tr ), affiliated with the Ministry of Interior, confirmed on 4 September 2024 the case, identifying the masked individual and the person who recorded the video. Both were apprehended in İzmir, Türkiye / Turkey, with officers seizing three handguns and a quantity of narcotics during the operation. Authorities reported that one the two individuals has a criminal record with 12 prior offenses, while the other individual has two.
The alleged mastermind behind the plot, who was named in the video, has denied any involvement. In a statement, he claimed, that he has no connection to the threats made against Ağırel and is not involved in any hitman activities.
The incident began on 3 September 2024 when Ağırel, a columnist for the Cumhuriyet (https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/) newspaper, shared a video he had received. In the video, the masked individual threatened his life. Ağırel identified the people in the video as members of organized crime.
Ağırel had previously reported threats against him and unusual activities near his home, particularly after the release of his book, which exposed criminal activities in Türkiye / Turkey. Despite notifying authorities, he claimed he had not been provided with personal protection. Following the latest video, Ağırel has filed another criminal complaint, expressing his growing concerns over his safety.
As the investigation continues, authorities are working to determine whether additional parties were involved in the threats against Ağırel, including the alleged political connection hinted at in the video.
SEEMO strongly condemns the threats against journalist Murat Ağırel, as well as any attempts to intimidate or silence members of the press through violence or coercion. These attacks on press freedom are unacceptable, and SEEMO calls on the authorities to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation into the matter. SEEMO will be closely monitoring the situation to ensure that justice is served and that Ağırel and other journalists in Türkiye / Turkey can work without fear for their safety.
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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