Journalists Killed in 1999 - Motive Confirmed: Ahmet Taner Kislali
- Document source:
-
Date:
January 2000
Cumhuriyet
October 21, 1999, in Ankara, Turkey
Kislali, a regular columnist for the daily Cumhuriyet, was killed in a bomb attack in front of his suburban home in the capital, Ankara. He was pronounced dead on arrival at a local hospital after reportedly sustaining shrapnel wounds to his face and chest. His left arm was also torn off. Press reports, citing Turkish officials, said that the bomb was wrapped in newspaper and placed on the windshield of Kislali's car. When Kislali attempted to remove the package, it exploded.
While the identity of the perpetrators is unclear, Turkish security officials have been quoted as saying that the Great Eastern Islamic Raiders' Front, an extremist, underground Islamist group, claimed responsibility for the killing of Kislali, who was a staunch secularist and critic of the Islamist movement in Turkey. These reports, however, have not been verified.
In addition to his work at Cumhuriyet, Kislali taught political science at Ankara University. He served as culture minister in the late 1970s and had also been a member of Parliament.
Medium: | |
Job: | Columnist / Commentator |
Beats Covered: | Politics |
Gender: | Male |
Local or Foreign: | Local |
Freelance: | No |
Type of Death: | Murder |
Suspected Source of Fire: | Political Group |
Impunity: | Partial |
Taken Captive: | No |
Tortured: | No |
Threatened: | No |
Disclaimer: © Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.