Presidency Communications Director Fahrettin Altun has filed a defamation lawsuit against Cumhuriyet newspaper over a report on İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s demolition of small constructions on a piece of land overlooking İstanbul’s Bosphorus Strait.
Altun demands a non-pecuniary damages of 250,000 lira (~36,420 USD) from the newspaper’s managing editor Olcay Büyüktaş, reporter Hazal Ocak and Yeni Gün News Agency Press and Publishing Inc.
Altun’s attorneys alleged that the report “violated Altun’s honor and dignity” and did not intend to inform the public, requesting 150,000 lira for the report titled, “Unlicensed construction in Bosphorus”, on April 14, 50,000 lira for “CHP: This is fraud,” report on April 15 and 50,000 lira for the article titled, “Our crime is exposing a crime, catching out the illegality” on April 29.
Previously, access block was issued on the report called “Unlicensed Construction in Bosphorus” and journalists were summoned to give statements under the investigation launched for allegedly “marking a state official who was assigned in fight against terrorism”.
