"Murder of Hayırsevener Was not a Personal Issue"

25 days have passed since the murder of journalist Cihan Hayırsevener from Bandırma in the province of Balıkesir in the southern Sea of Marmara region. The Bandırma prosecution expects the Forensic Medicine report within a couple of days. The investigation into the murder is being carried out confidentially.

After shooting several bullets, the attacker hit Hayırsevener on his head with the gun butt. The journalist fell to the ground and later on was taken to the Uludağ University Medical Faculty Hospital. He died there because of massive loss of blood due to a severe disruption of an artery caused by the bullets in his leg. Hayırsevener suffered cardiac arrest on the way to the hospital and received cardiac massage for three times.

Journalist became target when writing about corruption

Hayırsevener was among the founders of the Güney Marmara Yaşam ('Life in Southern Marmara') newspaper. In November 2009 he had reported about corruption. After the report had been published, tensions had occurred between the regionally publishing Marmara group (MARTAS) and the İlkhaber ('First news') group founded by the Kuruoğlu family.

Three civil officials reporting to the Prime Ministry carried out an investigation which resulted in an operation undertaken by the Directorate for Smuggling and Organized Crime. İlk Haber newspaper owner İhsan Kuruoğlu, his brother Osman Kuruoğlu, his son İlbey Kuruoğlu and former deputy mayor of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Talip Yıldız were among the people taken into custody in the course of the operation.

On 2 November 2009, Hayırsevener had published the article entitled "Times will change, things will change" putting forward allegations of corruption in municipality tenders.

Opposing media groups

Differences between the two media groups furthermore emerged out of opposing opinions about a thermal power plant planned by the son of former minister Kemal Unakıtan.

The murder of Hayırsevener points at relations between the mafia, the media and politics. Signs for this kind of connections can be observed in several regions of Turkey.

Hayırsevener was a member of the City Council's steering committee which posted bills against a thermal power plant in Bandırma, whereas sports journalist Ümit Atılganer from İlk Haber newspaper was part of the Bandirma Environment Platform (BANÇEP) presidency.

At the same time, Marmara TV broadcasting director Ümit Babacan is vice president of the Balıkesir Journalists Association and İlk Haber newspaper general coordinator EnginArıcan runs the presidency of the Güney Marmara (Southern Marmara) Journalists Association.

Suspicious persons in front of the office before the murder happened

The police took 29-year-old Serkan Erakkuş into custody in the town of Edincik five days after the murder and detained him in the Bandırma M Type Closed Prison under charges of murder. Defendants Tolga Ö. and Ali T., arrested in the Balıkesir district of Burhaniye, were released and will be tried un-detained.

Marmara TV broadcasting director and Balıkesir Journalists Association Vice President Ümit Babacan claimed that Hayırsevener's only worry was to protect Bandırma. Babacan demanded to find and punish the abettor.

Babacan: Attacked in broad daylight

Babacan told bianet that Hayırsevener started to receive threats shortly after his article about corruption had been published. He realized suspicious persons in front of the newspaper's office for the first time on 2 December. The journalist reported his observation and the police took precautions for evening hours in particular when Hayırsevener left the office, Babacan explained. "Because of the precautions of the police in the evenings, they shot him in broad daylight".

Dadan: Hayırsevener told me about the Öztaylan file

Doctor Kadır Dadan from the Greens and Left Initiative in Bandırma remembers a conversation with the journalist during a Labour Meeting on 25 November. Hayırsevener told him, "I have an important file concerning Öztaylan. I am working on that. This file will cause a great stir when I publish it".

Öztayan is an AKP MP for Bandırma and used to be mayor of Bandırma. It is said that İhsan Kuruoğlu won many tenders during the time Öztayan was mayor.

Babacan commented these allegations voiced by Dadan: "It does not matter to us if it is Öztaylan or İhsan Kuruoğlu. They have established many business connections in the past. Maybe he was going to publish those connections".

Yaşam: Murder does not account for a personal issue

In a letter sent from prison on 9 December, Kuruoğlu targeted both Babacan and Hayırsevener. After Hayırsevener was killed, Kuruoğlu reacted to people who hold him responsible for the muder.

Employees of  Güney Marmara Yaşam newspaper are concerned that the murder will be perceived as if it "was a personal matter" and that the judiciary will deal with it that way. (EÖ/VK)