Court arrests reporter working on state-run TRT for 25 years despite severe health problems

Elif Akkuş, a 25-year war correspondent who was suspended from her post by the state-run TRT channel without a reason, was arrested despite suffering from severe health problems and being brought to the court on a stretcher. She is accused of being “a source of information” about wrongdoings at TRT.

Friday October 20 2023 10:22 pm

Duvar English

An Ankara court on Oct. 20 arrested Elif Akkuş who has worked as a war correspondent at state television TRT for 25 years and was suspended from her post without any reason.

Turkish police on Oct. 16 detained Akkuş and taken to intensive care while in custody due to serious health problems.

Her lawyer stated, "Akkuş is accused of 'being the source of information' about the posts shared from an anonymous X account about nepotism and public spending at TRT." She was not accused of being owner of the X account.

He added that other people were also under custody with the same accusation.

TRT had previously suspended Akkuş for three months without explaining the reason, did not allow her into the TV building despite the expiry of the period, and did not respond to her petitions.

Akkuş had serious health problems due to a previous brain surgery and her lawyer reacted against her detention for this reason.

TRT Haber Muhabiri Elif Akkuş (@reporterefo), sağlık durumu sebebiyle Ankara Medicana Hastanesi’nde bulunuyordu. Tansiyon değerleri düşmemesine karşın bugün, hastane odasında polis ifadesini aldı ve Savcı tarafından gözaltına son verildi.

Akşam saatlerinde Savcılıkla, Hastane… pic.twitter.com/RDw8xEfgCB
— Hüseyin Ersöz (@ersozhuseyin) October 19, 2023

She fainted again at the courthouse where she was brought to the court and her interrogation in the courtroom was carried out on a stretcher and accompanied by a doctor.

Akkuş was arrested on charges of "unlawful acquisition or dissemination of personal data," "blackmail," and "slander" after his interrogation by the judge.

Gazeteci Elif Akkuş hakkında Ankara 2 Nolu Sulh Ceza Hakimliği tarafından tutuklama kararı verildi. Elif Akkuş, Sulh Ceza Hakimliği’ne bu şartlarda çıkarıldı.

Haksız ve hukuka aykırı sürecin sonunda verilen tutuklama kararına ilk iş itiraz edeceğiz. Gazeteci Elif Akkuş’la… https://t.co/oGITr4oB4W pic.twitter.com/nyhrIntRu9
— Hüseyin Ersöz (@ersozhuseyin) October 20, 2023

Topics TRT Elif Akkuş Journalists in Turkey reporters crackdown on media