Majority of Murdered Journalists in Turkey were Armenians and Kurds

The organization Solidarity with Imprisoned Journalists Platform (TGDP or Tutuklu Gazetecilerle Dayanışma Platformu) has published a list of 112 journalists killed in Turkey from 1909 to present. The majority of these individuals were of Armenian and Kurdish origin.

As reported by Russian news agency Regnum, the organization’s spokesperson Necati Abay, said the first journalist killed in Turkey was Hasan Fehmi Bey, who was murdered on Apr. 6, 1909 — a day marked in Turkey as a memorial day for murdered journalists.

According to Abay, a majority of journalists were killed in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. However, the majority of Armenian writers and journalists were killed in 1915, during the genocide.

“Among the 220 Armenian intellectuals arrested and exiled to Constantinople on Apr. 24, 1915, were 32 journalists and writers. All of them were killed. Among them were Grigor Zohrab, Siamanto, Sarkis Minasian, Armen Dorian, Ruben Zardarian. Many of their graves are not even known. Killed on Jan. 19, 2007, chief editor of Agos weekly Hrant Dink brough this number to 33,” said the Solidarity with Imprisoned Journalists Platform spokesperson.

Abay also mentioned that 18 Kurdish journalists were killed from 1990–1994.