BERLIN: Turkish journalist Erk Acarer, one of several reporters critical of Ankara living in exile in Berlin, said Thursday he was attacked and injured outside his home and told to stop writing.
Acarer said in a video posted to Twitter that three armed assailants ambushed him in the courtyard of his building late Wednesday in an account confirmed by police.
A unit that investigates political crimes has taken over the probe.
The reporter, a columnist for the left-wing Birgun newspaper, said he was treated in hospital and released.
Acarer, who has lived in Germany since 2017, said he recognized the attackers and that one warned him against continuing to write.
Accusing the ruling AKP and the nationalist MHP of involvement in the assault, Acarer vowed to keep working as a journalist.
Turkish authorities have issued multiple arrest warrants against Acarer with regard to his articles and social media messages, including one accusation of “insulting the president” over a news article published in 2020.
Fellow Turkish dissident writer Can Dundar, who fled to the German capital in 2016, slammed the assault on Twitter as a “direct message” from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to show that Ankara “can even attack a journalist in Berlin who is critical of the regime.”
A Turkish court in December sentenced Dundar, the former editor-in-chief of the Cumhuriyet daily, to more than 27 years in jail on espionage and terror charges for one of the reputable paper’s stories.
Journalist Mesale Tolu, a German citizen who in 2017 spent several months in jail in Turkey, also spoke out in Acarer’s defense.
“So many people seek protection in Germany and are still subjected to aggressive violence here,” she tweeted.
“That’s got to stop.”
Turkish press workers’ union DISK Basin-Is tweeted its support for Acarer.
“You cannot cover up the truth through such attacks,” it said. “We stand by Erk Acarer.”
Rights groups routinely accuse Turkey of undermining press freedom by arresting journalists and shutting down critical media outlets.
The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists listed Turkey as one of the top jailers after China in its most recent annual global report.
Exiled Turkish journalist attacked outside home in Germany
https://arab.news/rktg8
Exiled Turkish journalist attacked outside home in Germany
- Exiled Turkish journalist living in Germany was attacked by three men who warned him to stop writing.
- Turkish authorities have issued multiple arrest warrants against Acarer with regard to his articles and social media messages.
Arab News wins 7 prizes at European Newspaper Awards, led by 50th anniversary coverage
- Anniversary special coverage and film won four Awards of Excellence across multiple categories
LONDON: Arab News won seven prizes at the 27th European Newspaper Awards — four for its 50th anniversary coverage and three for other projects — bringing its total to 160 awards since the 2018 relaunch.
The anniversary coverage earned an Award of Excellence in “Supplement for special occasions and anniversary editions,” plus wins in “Multimedia storytelling” for its special web section and two in “Film” and “Animated films” for its documentary.
Additional honors went to the “Spotlight — 2024 in Review” and “Opinion — 2024” print series in the “Sectional front pages nationwide newspaper” category, and a “Visualization” prize for an image from “Opinion — 2024.”
Launched in 1999 by organizer Norbert Kupper, the awards celebrate print and digital innovation. This year’s contest drew newspapers from 22 countries and more than 3,000 entries across 20 categories, despite fewer print submissions due to rising editorial collaborations.
“It’s testament to the skill, versatility and collaboration between the creative and editorial teams at Arab News that the seven awards at this year’s ENAs spanned print, digital and film categories,” commented Omar Nashashibi, head of creative design at Arab News. “These wouldn’t be possible without the world-class contributors we partner with, and the leadership, vision and support of Editor-In-Chief Faisal J. Abbas.”
Creative Director Simon Khalil called the film wins especially meaningful. “This recognition means a great deal because this film was never just about marking an anniversary, it was about capturing a defining moment in the evolution of Arab News and the region it represents.
“Telling the story, and drama of the 2018 relaunch, the digital transformation, and the courage to become ‘The Voice of a Changing Region’ was both a responsibility and a privilege.”
Past highlights include the “King Charles III Coronation” special coverage, “Kingdom vs. Captagon” investigation and FIFA Qatar World Cup 2022 special edition.
See more award-winning projects at arabnews.com/greatesthits.
