Turkish state broadcaster TRT said yesterday that its Egypt correspondent, Metin Turan, was beaten by a group of pro-Mubarak demonstrators and lost a tooth in the attack, the International Press Institute (IPI) has learned from its IPI Turkish National Committee.
The broadcaster reported that Turan was attacked by around 15 demonstrators with batons, and that his camera, money and cell phone were stolen.
Turkish daily newspaper Today’s Zaman also reported yesterday that photographer İsa Şimşek and correspondent Cumali Önal, and Star daily newspaper’s editor Doğan Ertuğrul, were beaten and robbed near Tahrir Square in central Cairo by pro-Mubarak demonstrators. Şimşek and Önal were not seriously injured, Today’s Zaman reported, but Ertuğrul sustained a severe head injury.
In other news, Turkey’s Anatolia news agency said yesterday that Egyptian police rescued Fox TV’s Turkish reporter in Cairo, Erol Candabakoğlu, from kidnappers and handed him over to the Turkish embassy in Cairo. Candabakoğlu reportedly said he was detained with his driver and cameraman on Wednesday by “street gangsters” wielding knives and sticks while the three were filming in Cairo’s Boulaq neighbourhood.
Egyptian police rescued Candabakoğlu after being contacted by Turkish Embassy officials, Anatolia reported.
The secretary of IPI’s Turkish National Committee, Yurdanur Atadan, said she was deeply concerned by the reports.
“We regret such violent action against journalists who are just doing their job,” she commented, adding that the committee expected “solidarity” from Egyptian journalist organisations in favour of their Turkish colleagues.
IPI Acting Director Alison Bethel McKenzie added:
“We are appalled at the attack on our colleagues from Turkey and call on the Egyptian government to send a clear message to protesters on both sides of the conflict that it is not acceptable to attack journalists doing their jobs.”