Turkish journalist receives threats after revealing corruption by former Ankara mayor

Turkish journalist Murat Ağırel has said that he has been receiving threats on social media after revealing former Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek's corruption during his years in the office. "Melih Gökçek and Osman Gökçek are responsible if something happens to my family," Ağırel said.

Tuesday February 23 2021 02:56 pm

Duvar English

Turkish journalist Murat Ağırel has said that he has been receiving threats since he published his book on the corrupt practices of former Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek and his son Osman Gökçek.

The book "Parsel Parsel" looks into the widely-reported corruption claims regarding Melih Gökçek, who ran the municipality between 1994 and 2017.

"I'm addressing chief public prosecutors, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu and Justice Minister Abdülhamit Gül. Melih Gökçek and Osman Gökçek, who have been making me the target of their trolls and making them call my newspaper to threaten, are responsible if something happens to my children or my family," Ağırel said on Twitter on Feb. 22.

Cumhuriyet Savcılarına ,İçişleri Bakanı Sayın @suleymansoylu’ya ve Adalet Bakanı @abdulhamitgul e sesleniyorum.

Çocuklarımın,ailemin başına bir şey gelir ise tek sorumlusu günlerdir beni trollerine hedef gösteren,gazetemi arayarak tehdit ettiren @OsmanGokcek_ ve Melih Gökçek’tir pic.twitter.com/P71hk5LUzr
— Murat AĞIREL (@muratagirel) February 22, 2021

The journalist, who previously served time in prison for reporting the death of an intelligence officer in Libya, shared screenshots of the threats.

Gökçek, a long-time ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) member, has always been a figure at the center of controversy due to his excessive spending in Ankara and his remarks on social media.

He was removed from his duty in 2017 and Mansur Yavaş from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) was elected mayor in March 31, 2019 local elections. He has been revealing documents proving corruption during Gökçek's term ever since.