The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Wednesday urged Turkish authorities to conduct a full investigation into the October 14 shooting of a local newspaper publisher in eastern Turkey and determine whether it was connected to his journalistic activities.
“The shooting of Günışığı and Yeni Ufuk publisher Nafiz Koca in Elazığ requires a comprehensive investigation to determine the motive behind the assault,” Özgür Öğret, CPJ’s Turkey representative, said. “Turkish authorities in Elazığ should ensure the security of Koca and prove that such violent attacks on the press have consequences.”
Koca, who chairs the Elazığ Press and Media Society and publishes the local Günışığı and Yeni Ufuk dailies, was shot in the leg outside his newspapers’ offices in the eastern province of Elazığ. The assault, captured on video, left him hospitalized. Doctors said the shot missed bones and arteries. Authorities have detained a suspect, but no motive has been disclosed.
The CPJ said it contacted the Elazığ Chief Public Prosecutor’s office for comment but received no reply.
The attack comes amid broader concerns about press freedom in Turkey, where journalists have faced harassment, legal threats and occasional violence, particularly when reporting on sensitive local issues. Press advocates warn that a pattern of impunity for violence against journalists has become an indirect form of pressure, discouraging critical reporting.
Turkey, which remains one of the world’s leading jailers of journalists, according to press freedom organizations, dropped to 159th out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in early May.
