A symbol of honorable and principled journalism: Abdi İpekçi commemorated at his graveside

Master journalist Abdi İpekçi, who was murdered 45 years ago today in an assassination carried out by Mehmet Ali Ağca, was commemorated at his graveside in Zincirlikuyu Cemetery.

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A symbol of honorable and principled journalism: Abdi İpekçi commemorated at his graveside

Journalist Abdi İpekçi was murdered 45 years ago, on February 1, 1979, while serving as the Editor-in-Chief of Milliyet newspaper, in an assassination carried out by Mehmet Ali Ağca in front of his home.

İpekçi was commemorated today at his graveside in Zincirlikuyu Cemetery.

'HIS FRIENDS STILL TAKE PRIDE IN THEM'

İpekçi's daughter, Nükhet İpekçi İzet, said in her speech at her father's graveside: "We continue to watch the heroic murderers, the brave henchmen, the extortionist hunters, and the madmen. Sometimes they hide their faces, sometimes their names... Their friends, families, associations, and parties still take pride in them; we were constantly forced to watch them.

In the past, some information remained in a narrow space, on its own. There was a period when an Interior Minister was astonished to discover a control room belonging to another power behind his own office. A prime minister did not delve too deeply into a secret fund whose existence he learned of by chance, and he could not fight against it. We were able to watch very little of these parts of the subject. They were like series that were canceled due to low viewership," she stated.

WHO IS ABDI İPEKÇİ?

He was born in Istanbul in 1929. He graduated from Galatasaray High School in 1948. Between 1943 and 1948, his articles and cartoons were published in sports magazines called Kırmızı-Beyaz and Şut. He worked as a reporter and editorial secretary at the newspapers Yeni Sabah (1948-1949) and Yeni İstanbul (1950).

In 1951, he served as the editor-in-chief of the Istanbul Ekspres newspaper. In 1954, he became the editor-in-chief of Milliyet newspaper, which began a new era of publication by changing its format and content. He also served as a lead columnist for the same newspaper starting in 1959. In 1959, he held the position of Chairman of the Journalists Union of Turkey.

He served as the deputy chairman of the Turkish Journalists Association. He was elected as the second vice president of the International Press Institute (IPI). His books titled "Africa, The Inside Story of the Revolution," "Leaders Say," and "From the Four Corners of the World" were published. He lost his life on February 1, 1979, as a result of an assassination near his home in Maçka, Istanbul.

News Source: 12punto