Long live the Metins, long live journalism!

Around 9:00 on the morning of the holiday, the doorbell rang. Three mischievous children, aged 7-8, kissed my hand with excitement and joy, saying, “Happy holiday, sister.” I was surprised. It brought me happiness to see this tradition, which has faded into the pages of history in Istanbul, continue in the Mediterranean. Our surprise met in their eyes as they looked at me with curiosity, waiting for their holiday pocket money.

I immediately ran inside. Along with the holiday money, I also offered them chocolate. I watched them ring the neighbor's doorbell with the same enthusiasm.

I remembered the beauty of being a child during the holidays. As I watched them impatiently unwrap the chocolate foil and pop the chocolate into their mouths in one go, the experiences of children in the other corner of the Mediterranean flooded my mind. The helpless children of bombed Gaza!

“What can I do for the people of Gaza?” asked Metin Cihan, who came to my mind—the journalist who shakes the agenda with his bombshell reports…

Metin Cihan is undoubtedly one of Turkey's best journalists. With his conscience and huge heart, he fearlessly dives into the deepest issues. He dove in so deeply that his news tracking over the last 6 months made a major contribution to the opposition's election victory.

He exposed Turkey's ongoing trade with Israel during the Gaza War. The public first recognized him when he pursued clues regarding the suspicious death of 11-year-old Rabia Naz, who was found injured in front of her home in the Eynesil district of Giresun on April 12, 2018, and lost her life in the hospital where she was taken.

He brought to light important findings that would allow the public conscience to come to the fore. However, he was forced to leave his country due to the pressure he faced because of his research to clarify the case.

Metin Cihan is not living an easy life in exile. But he is doing such journalism that Turkey is shaking.

In a tiny apartment, with a mobile phone, with patience and curiosity, and most importantly, by relying on open sources, his documentation of Turkey's exports to Israel during the Gaza war made a major contribution to the opposition's victory in the election.

He had neither a column nor a publishing medium. He became the most successful example of citizen journalism on Twitter.

In a tweet he wrote on December 3, 2023, he said, “When I thought about what I could do for Palestinian children, the conclusion I reached was to call for a halt to shipments to Israel.” Since that date, lawsuits have been filed against him due to the news reports in which he revealed the details of the trade based on open sources. He did not give up. However, the accuracy of these reports also resonated deeply within the religious segment of society. Reactions grew. Due to social pressure, after Metin Cihan patiently revealed new shipments, the Ministry of Trade took action and imposed an export restriction on Israel.

Who knows, perhaps the efforts of brave journalist Metin Cihan could also contribute to a permanent ceasefire in the near future.

Metin Cihan, who pursues the truth with his big heart and conscience so that children are not killed, has shown our sector how real journalism should be. He did not write scripts. He showed the truth to everyone with documents, using open and official sources.

Independent journalism is indispensable for democracy! Its driving force is conscience, determination, and honesty.

The first day of the Eid al-Fitr fell on April 10. The birthday of another curious and brave journalist, Metin Göktepe. Evrensel newspaper reporter Metin Göktepe went to Alibeyköy on January 8, 1996, 27 years ago, to cover the funeral of prisoners killed in Ümraniye Prison. He was not allowed into the district on the grounds that he did not have a press card. When he insisted on following the news, saying, “I must cover this,” he was detained. He was taken to the Eyüp Indoor Sports Hall along with 1,000 other people who were detained with him. While in custody, he was beaten to death by police officers who said, “Special treatment for the journalist.”

The 27th Metin Göktepe Journalism Awards ceremony will be held on April 15 at the Şişli Municipality Nazım Hikmet Culture and Art House. The awards will be presented to journalists who produced the reports that left their mark on this year.

Taking pride in being on the Metin Göktepe Journalism Awards jury, together with dear Nazım Alpman, Banu Güven, Pınar Öğünç, Hakkı Özdal, Filiz Gazi, Yetvart Danzikyan, and Sorel Dağıstanlı, we decided to give the Metin Göktepe Jury Special Award to Metin Cihan.

Perhaps it will make Metin Cihan, who does not hesitate to put himself in danger so that children do not die, living in a single room far from his homeland in scarcity, feel that he is not alone.

Happy holidays! Long live the Metins,

Long live Journalism!