Ertuğrul Yılmaz received medical treatment for a broken nose and rib after the vicious attack.
(BIANET/IFEX) – Cameraman Ertuğrul Yılmaz, from local television channel Kanal 48, was attacked while recording footage of rubble that had been dropped in a forest. The forest belongs to İçmeler Municipality as part of the city of Marmara, on the western Mediterranean coast. The 45-year-old cameraman was hospitalized due to the injuries suffered from the attack on 3 February 2010.
Akay Öztürk and Şenol Şahin informed the television channel of the incident. Yılmaz was assaulted while he was fulfilling his duty as a reporter.
Yılmaz went to the area, which lies within the scope of responsibility of the Marmaris Forestry Directorate, together with Öztürk and Şahin. However, while taking pictures of the scene, he encountered the angry reactions of Osman Kaz and his son Ömer.
Aiming to prevent the recording, Osman and Ömer Kaz assaulted the cameraman. Şenol Şahin was attacked as well when he tried to stop the father and the son from attacking the reporter. Yılmaz and his two companions subsequently drove away from the scene to avoid further exposure to violence.
As a result of the severe assault, the cameraman suffered a broken nose, a broken rib and bruises all over his body. Furthermore, his left eye was bruised and swollen to the extent that Yılmaz could not open it anymore. Yılmaz underwent treatment in the Marmaris State Hospital.
Kanal 48 General Director Cemal Balcı filed a complaint against the two aggressors with the Marmaris Gendarmerie Command. The matter is being investigated.
Democratic Party (DP) Mayor of İçmeler Zeki Eren stated, “We are going to investigate who dropped the rubble and will punish the responsible people accordingly.”
