AFSV Message on the Attack on Turkish Dissident Journalist Abdullah Bozkurt
September 25, 2020– Turkish dissident journalist Abdullah Bozkurt, who helped expose the illegal actions abroad of the Turkish government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was attacked by three unidentified individuals in Stockholm, Sweden.
We strongly condemn this heinous attack, which was aimed at silencing voices critical of Turkey’s authoritarian president.
Bozkurt is the chief editor of Nordic Monitor and the president of the Stockholm Center for Freedom, an advocacy organization that promotes the rule of law, democracy, fundamental rights and freedoms in Turkey. These outlets have published numerous news stories and reports detailing the Erdogan government’s illegal actions domestically and abroad, including torture, physical attacks and abductions.
Bozkurt—a former columnist at Today’s Zaman newspaper, which was shuttered by the Turkish government—was mentioned by Erdogan-friendly pundit Cem Kucuk on Turkish television as a target for assassination by the Turkish Intelligence Service.
Turkey is one of the worst nations in the world in the jailing of journalists. This attack shows that the Turkish state resorts to mafia-like tactics under Erdogan to silence its critics. It is the latest in a series of actions against dissident journalists living abroad, including trailing them, collecting and publishing their private information, in-person confrontations, death threats, beatings and targeting their relatives in Turkey.
We call on the international community to condemn the Erdogan government’s wicked actions against its critics and show solidarity with dissident Turkish journalists.
We wish Mr. Bozkurt a quick recovery.
About Alliance for Shared Values
The Alliance for Shared Values (AFSV) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves as a voice for cultural organizations affiliated with Hizmet, a civil society movement inspired by prominent preacher and peace advocate Fethullah Gülen. The Alliance strives to promote peace and social harmony by helping reduce misinformation and false stereotypes about any or all ethnic, cultural and religious communities. To learn more about the Alliance, please visit www.afsv.org.
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