Connections between Journalist Murder and Organized Crime

Eight months after the murder of journalist Cihan Hayırsevener, publication director of the Güney Marmara'da Yaşam (Life in Southern Marmara) newspaper, the Istanbul 10^th High Criminal Court opened a trial.

Journalist Hayırsevener was killed on 18 December 2009 in Bandırma (south coast of the Sea of Marmara) after he had been threatened because of his articles on corruption. He was shot into his leg on the centrally located Atatürk Avenue and died because of blood loss.

12 defendants in court on 15 October

Hayırsevener had reported about detention operations carried out by the police related to alleged corruption in tenders of the Bandırma Municipality. The operations apparently also target the media group. The police detained 29-year-old Serkan Erakkuş in the context of the murder. Defendants Tolga Ö. and Ali T. were released pending trial.

Tensions had occurred between the regionally publishing Marmara group and the İlkhaber group prior to the murder.  One of the issues of discussion was the thermal power plant planned to be built in the region. İlkhaber had criticized in their news items that the Marmara group opposed the building of the power plant.

The case related to the Hayırsevener murder will start on 15 October. Among the twleve defendants on trial are Engin Arıcan, Ilk Haber newspaper publishing coordinator, the Bandırma Deputy Mayor, Talip Yıldız, and members of the family who is publishing the Ilk Haber daily, namely İhsan Kuruoğlu, İlbey Kuruoğlu and Osman Kuruoğlu.

Six different accusations

The defendants stand accused of "premeditated murder", "establishing an organization with the intent to commit a crime", "membership of an organization established with the intent to commit a crime", "spreading propaganda for an illegal organizations and its aims" and "buying, carrying or possessing unlicensed weapons and ammunition".

Lawyer Şahin: In the name of press freedom

Lawyer Birol Şahin, representing the Marmara Group, informed bianet that the Bandırma Prosecution is convinced that the murder was committed in the scope of an organized criminal organization. Şahin said that the Istanbul 10^th High Criminal Court agreed on merging the files.

"We are involved in this case because the general publication director of the Yaşam newspaper became the victim of a murder on the grounds of the news he wrote. We are part of this case in the name of freedom of expression and freedom of thought". (EÖ/VK)