Can Dündar

Can Dündar

Can Dündar receiving the 2015 Reporters Without Borders Prize
Born (1961-06-16) 16 June 1961
Ankara, Turkey
Nationality Turkish
Education
Occupation Columnist, TV host, documentarian
Title Ph.D.
Spouse(s) Dilek Dündar
Family Ege Dündar (son)

Can Dündar (born 16 June 1961 in Ankara[1]) is a Turkish journalist, columnist and documentarian. The editor-in-chief of center-left Cumhuriyet newspaper, he was arrested in November 2015 after his newspaper published footage showing the State Intelligence MİT sending weapons to Syrian Islamist fighters.[2]

One of the best known figures in Turkish media,[3] he was described as possessing "impeccable republican credentials".[4] Dündar has written for several newspapers, produced many television programs for state-owned TRT and various private channels including CNN Türk and NTV, and published over 20 books.

Early life and education

Dündar studied journalism at the Faculty of Political Science, Ankara University, and graduated in 1982. He continued his education at the London School of Journalism in 1986. He received his master's degree in 1988 and in 1996 earned his Ph.D. in political science from the Middle East Technical University, Ankara.[1]

Publicistic career

Dündar has contributed to various print publications, including Hürriyet (1983–1985), Nokta, Haftaya Bakış, Söz and Tempo. He wrote for Sabah from January 1999 to April 2000 and Milliyet from January 2000.[1] On television he has been involved in Yanki (1979–1983) and 32. Gün (1989–1995) among others.[5]

His work often "traces Turkey’s evolution into a modern nation and provides historical and political detail regarding crucial events, debates, and conflicts." This includes profiles of historical and political figures such as Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Ismet Inönü, Nazim Hikmet and Vehbi Koç.[5] His screenplay for the 2008 film Mustafa depicted the founder of the Republic of Turkey as a regular man with fears, passions and human expectations, rather than a life-size hero.[6]

2015 arrest

A longstanding columnnist for Milliyet, Dündar was laid off in August 2013 for "writing too sharply" about the Gezi protests and the developments in Egypt, as the paper's owner Erdoğan Demirören put it. Dündar recalled: "It was said to me, ‘We do not wish to see stories that will displease the prime minister in this paper. Everything displeases them, and after they are displeased, they go after us’."[7]

Subsequently, he turned to the center-left Cumhuriyet, and on 8 February 2015 became the newspaper's new editor-in-chief. In November, Cumhuriyet was awarded the 2015 Reporters Without Borders Prize for its "independent and courageous journalism."[8]

Shortly thereafter, Dündar and Cumhuriyet's Ankara bureau chief Erdem Gül were arrested on charges of being members of a terror organization, espionage and revealing confidential documents, facing sentences of up to life imprisonment. The investigations had been launched in May, after the newspaper published photos depicting weapons transferred to Syria in trucks of the National Intelligence Organization, subject of the MİT trucks scandal. In June 2015, Turkish President Erdoğan had publicly targeted Dündar, stating: "The individual who reported this as an exclusive story will pay a heavy price for this."[9]

After 92 days in prison, Dündar and Gül were released on 26 February 2016 after the Supreme Court decided that their detention was an "undue deprivation of liberty".[10]

Assassination Attempt

On May 6th 2016 there was an assassination attempt in front of multiple reporters in front of the Istanbul courthouse where he had just been defending himself against charges of treason. The assailant was stopped by a reporter and a security officer before he could fire more than two shots and nobody was hit. The assassin was captured. [11]

Private life

He is married to Dilek Dündar, and the couple has one child. His father allegedly worked for the National Intelligence Organization.[12]

Documentaries

Books

References

  1. 1 2 3 haberler.com, CAN DÜNDAR
  2. ↑ Raziye Akkoc (26 November 2015). "Turkey arrests editors over reports Ankara supplied weapons to Syrian fighters". The Telegraph. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  3. ↑ Aydin, Nurulllah; Soncan, Emre (2009-01-10). "Gölbaşı ammunition may shed light on unsolved murders". Today's Zaman. Retrieved 2009-01-09. Can Dündar, a prominent writer and documentarian...
  4. ↑ Villelabeitia, Ibon (2008-11-08). "Is Turkey reassessing Atatürk’s legacy?". Reuters. Retrieved 2008-12-25.
  5. 1 2 encyclopedia.jrank.org, Dündar, Can (1961–)
  6. ↑ Ateş, Toktamış (2008-11-02). "Can Dündar and ‘Mustafa'". Today's Zaman. Retrieved 2009-01-09.
  7. ↑ Salih Sarıkaya (17 October 2014). "Turkish Journalist Can Dündar fired for writing columns that might 'disturb' the prime minister in Turkey".
  8. ↑ "Cumhuriyet newspaper wins journalism prize from Reporters Without Borders". Today's Zaman. 18 November 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  9. ↑ "Cumhuriyet daily’s Dündar, Gül arrested over report on Syria arms transfer". Zaman. 2015-11-26. Retrieved 2015-11-27.
  10. ↑ "Can Dündar ve Erdem Gül 92 gün sonra serbest". Hürriyet. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  11. ↑ "Turkey: Cumhuriyet editor Can Dundar shot at outside Istanbul courthouse". 2016-05-06. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  12. ↑ Acar, Erkan (2008-02-11). "Nuri Gündeş: Can Dündar'ın babası MİT görevlisiydi". Zaman. Retrieved 2009-01-09.

External links

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