JINHA

ANKARA – As university students protested being targeted by an AKP politician’s son, a reporter from pro-AKP media targeted journalists (including journalists from JINHA) covering the event. He also attempted to provoke the students.

Recently, Osman Gökçek, son of AKP Ankara mayor Melih Gökçek, appeared on pro-AKP TV station Beyaz TV to make remarks that targeted students at Ankara’s Middle East Technical University (METU), claiming that “at METU, they attack students who pray.” Today, METU students went to the courthouse to file charges regarding the provocative remarks.

As the students were preparing to hold their press conference, a reporter from Beyaz TV named Gencay Ünal aggressively targeted reporters from news agencies DİHA and JINHA who were covering the event. As the Beyaz TV camera turned to record the journalists on camera, Gencay began asking them provocative questions, such as, “why are you dividing the country?”

The reporter then turned to the METU students, attempting to provoke them by asking them why they “attacked praying students with nail-studded bats.”

Additionally, eyewitnesses reported that Gencay offered money to an older woman passing by, asking her to make negative comments about the students. He also pointed to an individual who he falsely claimed was a DİHA reporter and said “DİHA reporters are attacking us.”

(he/gc/cm)