Media Martyrs to Murdered Journalists' Day
Güncelleme Tarihi:
A dispute over the inclusion of a journalist's name on a list of dead journalists or "Media Martyrs" as the list is known sparked a debate on Wednesday with members of the Workers' Party (İP). The Turkish Journalists Association (TGC) Executive Board decided decided to change the heading of the list from Media Martyrs to Murdered Journalists after a group of İP supporters criticized the inclusion of a particular journalist on the list.
The name on the list that was in question was that of Ali Kemal, who the IP group had called a traitor and criticized the TGC for including the name on its lists. Ali Kemal was a journalist during Turkey's War of Independence and was known for his severe criticisms of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and of the war itself. He was known for supporting foreign occupation, and when the war came to an end, he was kidnapped and killed by an angry crowd in Izmir.
TGC General Secretary Turgay Olcayto said the association's executive board had met on Monday to assess criticism voiced about the inclusion of Ali Kemal on the list and had decided to change the name of the list. Olcayto said they had decided against removing Ali Kemal's name, adding that April 6, Media Martyrs Day, was also changed to Murdered Journalists' Day.