Istanbul, February 19, 2022 – On Saturday, Turkish journalist Güngör Arslan, publisher and news editor of local news site Ses Kocaeli, died in a hospital in the western province of Kocaeli after he was shot by an assailant in the chest and right leg outside of his office in the city of Izmit, according to news reports. In a statement the Kocaeli governor’s office said that Turkish authorities arrested a suspect, which they identified by the initials R.Ö., apprehended a gun, and are investigating the killing.
“We call on Turkish authorities to launch a swift and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding journalist Güngör Arslan’s killing and to determine whether journalism was a possible motive for the shooting,” said CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator Gulnoza Said in New York. “The fact that police apprehended the suspect and found a weapon is promising. Now they must ensure that everyone involved in the killing, including any potential masterminds, are brought to justice.”
