Senior anti-government journalist in Turkey assaulted in 'organised' attack

A gang of assailants attacked a prominent Turkish journalist known for his critical stance against the government outside his Istanbul home, inflicting injuries to his nose and ribs, his employer said on Wednesday. 

Ahmet Hakan, a respected columnist for daily Hurriyet and a TV show host on CNN-Turk television, was attacked by four people shortly after midnight on Tuesday outside his home in the upscale Istanbul district of Nisantasi, Hurriyet said.

After hosting his late-night television show Hakan left the shared headquarters of CNN-Turk and Hurriyet in a private car along with his driver and bodyguard, the daily said.

One of the assailants held off his bodyguard while the other three beat Hakan before all four fled scene in their car. 

Hakan was hospitalised with injuries to his ribs and nose and was discharged from hospital early on Wednesday.

Police detained all four suspects, whose motives remain unclear, Hurriyet said, whose editor described the attack as "organised and planned".

Hakan has recently been the target of threats by media columnists supportive of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) led by President Erdogan.

Hakan has previously sought police protection in light of these threats.

Cem Kucuk, a columnist for the staunchly pro-government Star daily, recently threatened Hakan, saying he would "crush [him] like a bug”.

Twice in a 48-hour period in early September, pro-government protesters attacked Hurriyet’s headquarters in Istanbul, accusing the daily of misquoting President Erdogan.

During the first attack, when the building was pelted with stones, AKP MP Abdurrahim Boynukalin was filmed making a fiery speech.

In the wake of Tuesday’s assault against Hakan, Boynukalin took to Twitter to deny the attack was linked with the AKP.

“We are not so deceitful as to send four men to beat a journalist in front of his home,” Boynukalin wrote.

There has been growing concern about deteriorating press freedoms in Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in particular over the numbers of journalists facing legal proceedings accused of insulting top officials.

Tensions have risen further amid a government battle against Kurdish militants, with officials accusing critical journalists of taking the side of "terrorists". 

Three journalists working with Vice news were arrested in late August while filming clashes between the police and members of the PKK, and were later charged with working on behalf of a “terrorist organisation”.

The two British-based journalists were later released and deported to the UK, but their Turkish colleague Mohammed Ismael Rasool remains behind bars.