The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), along with 22 other rights groups, issued a joint statement on Wednesday calling on Turkish authorities to ensure the safety of journalist Murat Ağırel, who has been receiving death threats due to his investigative reporting.
The statement detailed several incidents in which Ağırel, a columnist for the pro-opposition Cumhuriyet daily, has faced threats and harassment since late 2023.
“We are profoundly alarmed by the relentless death threats and the escalating harassment aimed not only at Murat Ağırel but also at his family,” the statement said. “These brazen acts of intimidation are a stark reminder of the perilous environment in which independent journalists in Turkey must operate.”
Ağırel’s reporting has covered allegations of drug trafficking, money laundering, sports betting fraud and the high-profile murder trial of Sinan Ateş, the former leader of ultranationalist group the Gray Wolves, the youth wing of the government-allied Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
Ağırel recently posted a video online showing a masked man issuing direct threats and implicating organized crime leader Mahsun Kuruçay in a plot to kill him. He also hints that a politician is involved and promises to reveal more details in a future video.
The organizations urged Turkish authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the threats and to provide adequate protection for Ağırel and his family.
Turkish police detained two suspects in İzmir on Wednesday after the video surfaced, seizing guns and drugs during the raid. Authorities said the suspects have been linked to multiple crimes.
Despite repeated reports to authorities about the threats, Ağırel said he has not been provided personal protection and that the intimidation worsened after the release of his book exposing criminal activity in Turkey. He has filed a new criminal complaint following this latest threat.
