Long year journalist Elif Akkuş, previously employed by Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (Türkiye Radyo ve Televizyon Kurumu – TRT – https://www.trt.net.tr/), where she had worked for 25 years, has once again been imprisoned. On 2 May 2024, Akkuş provided testimony at the Anatolian Courthouse in Istanbul, Türkiye / Turkey following an investigation concerning her allegedly high spending during assignments in Libya and Syria. After her statement, the 8th Criminal Judgeship of Peace in Ankara, Türkiye / Turkey ordered her detention on suspicion of “evidence tampering.”
Previously, Akkuş had been arrested in October 2023 over allegations related to an anonymous social media account critical of TRT. Charged with leaking information, blackmail, and defamation, she was detained despite severe health concerns. Her condition necessitated a hospital stay, and she was ultimately released on 15 November 2023, due to her deteriorating health.
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is monitoring this case and developments connected to Elif Akkuş.
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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