On July 7, 2021, Turkish journalist Erk Acarer, who is living in Germany, was attacked and beaten by three assailants armed with knives who broke into his residence in the evening.
Acarer, who works for BirGün, Artı TV and German outlet Taz.de, received medical treatment in hospital. He later wrote on his social media accounts that his health condition was stable. The International Press Institute (IPI) is appalled by this horrific attack and calls on German authorities to find and hold accountable those responsible for the attack.
Acarer published a video on his Twitter account the next morning explaining the incident. Three men who broke into the courtyard outside his apartment in Berlin, Germany attacked him with knives kicking him on the floor while shouting “You won’t write anymore!”. He said that the worst of the beating was stopped as more witnesses gathered at the scene. Acarer suffered wounds to the head and face and spent the night in the hospital due to concerns about a possible skull fracture. After test results showed no serious injuries, Acarer was sent back home. Acarer added that he has suspicions regarding the groups that may be responsible for the attack, singling out Turkey’s ruling AKP party and its ultra-nationalist ally MHP. However, he was requested by the German authorities not to share anything specific for the sake of investigation. He also noted that he and his family have been placed under police protection.
Read full statement