Many journalists in Turkey cannot report freely and are subject to repression.
Some therefore live in exile in countries like Germany.
But you can't feel completely safe here either.
Berlin - The government-critical Turkish journalist Erk Acarer, who lives in German exile, has been attacked in Berlin.
According to the police, Acarer was injured by several attackers in the Neukölln district.
He suffered a head wound and received medical treatment.
The attack took place around 9:50 p.m. in the courtyard of his house in the Rudow district.
Two men hit and kicked the 48-year-old journalist, and a third man observed the area.
When witnesses became aware, the men fled, the police said.
State Criminal Police Office determined
The state security responsible for politically motivated acts is determined by the State Criminal Police Office (LKA).
Numerous journalists and politicians expressed their solidarity with Acarer.
The police did not initially comment on who could be behind the attack.
After the attack, Acarer tweeted a photo of himself on Wednesday evening and wrote in Turkish: "I was attacked with a knife and fist in my house in Berlin." His life was not in danger, he had some swelling on his head and was in the hospital.
“I know the perpetrators.
I will never surrender to fascism. ”He and his family are under police protection.
"You will not write"
In a video from Thursday morning, the journalist spoke of three attackers with weapons.
One of them said: "You will not write." Because there were many witnesses in the courtyard, the attackers could not have used the weapons.
He went on to say: "This attack is proof that everything we have written and said against the Islamist and fascist AKP-MHP government is correct."
The AKP is the party of the ruling President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
It forms a government alliance with the ultra-nationalist MHP, without which it would not have a majority in parliament.
Acarer, who has been living in Berlin for some time, was charged with other journalists in Turkey.
They were accused of disclosing classified information about state security and intelligence activities.
According to Amnesty International, the background was, among other things, reports of an employee of the Turkish secret service killed in Libya.
Serious allegations against Erdogan
The Green Bundestag member Cem Özdemir tweeted: “It is outrageous that exiles from Turkey in this country have to fear for their safety. (...) I look forward to the reaction of the federal government. ”Left-wing member of the Bundestag Sevim Dağdelen wrote:“ Erdogan's henchmen attack a journalist in exile in Berlin with knives. How long does the federal government want to watch the life-threatening goings-on in the Erdogan network? ”Many journalists of Turkish origin also accused Erdogan of being responsible for the attack. dpa