Ayşemden Akın, editor of the Cyprus-based newspaper Bugün Kıbrıs, received death threats in early May 2025 after publishing investigative articles about an alleged money laundering network involving high-ranking Turkish and Cypriot officials.
In April, Akın interviewed Cemil Önal, who was reportedly in charge of the money laundering operations of Halil Falyalı, a Cypriot businessperson and the alleged leader of a criminal network killed in 2022. In a series of articles, Akın reported Önal’s claims about the network’s involvement in drug trafficking, bribery, and organized crime, and connections to individuals among authorities in Ankara and Nicosia.
On April 30, 2025, Akın shared on her social media account that she had received a death threat during a 27-minute phone call after her interviews with Önal. The journalist was told to end her investigative series or be killed, with the caller claiming that three individuals had been sent to Cyprus to watch her and “take necessary action”.
Just two days later, on May 2, 2025, Önal, who had warned he feared for his life, was shot and killed in the Netherlands. His death significantly heightened concerns over Akın’s safety, given that he was a key source in her reporting.
Authorities’ response raises further concerns
In her social media post, Akın said she had recorded the phone call and submitted it to the police. She was initially provided protection in response to the threats, but the police officers later reduced it to occasional patrols.
Press organizations in Cyprus called for around-the-clock protection for their colleague, saying that they made formal requests to the officials. As a result of public pressure, authorities agreed to reinstate partial morning protection.
The Cypriot police also announced that they contacted Turkish authorities to identify the owner of the Turkish phone line that called Akın.
Turkish officials, meanwhile, have denied the claims made in the interviews and accused Akın of spreading misinformation, further increasing the security risk faced by Akin. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded with a statement saying it would pursue legal action over the “unfounded” allegations in Akın’s reports. Following a recent live broadcast with Akın, Turkey’s media regulator RTÜK imposed a substantial fine on Tele1 channel, citing violations of personal privacy and defamation.
IPI calls on authorities to act swiftly and decisively to ensure the journalist’s safety. Thorough investigations must be carried out both in Turkey and Cyprus into any threats made against her.
This case underscores the increasingly hostile environment for independent journalism in both Cyprus and Turkey, where reporters investigating corruption and criminal networks face intimidation, censorship, and physical danger.
It is essential for journalists to continue their work and keep the public informed without fear for their personal safety. Failure to address threats against journalists fuels further attacks.
This statement was produced by IPI as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and candidate countries, funded by the European Commission.