Editor of Turkey's Cumhuriyet Newspaper Survives Assassination Attempt

Can Dundar, an opposition journalist in Turkey, survived an assassination attempt on Friday, May 6, outside a courthouse in Istanbul. He is on trial for revealing government secrets. According to AFP, the assailant, armed with a handgun, fired several shots but was apprehended by police. The editor of Cumhuriyet, which opposes the Turkish government, was unharmed. At the time of the attack, Mr. Dundar had stepped outside the courthouse during a recess in the trial. The trial, which is being held behind closed doors, is set to issue a verdict regarding his charges of disclosing government secrets. The assailant fired two or three shots right in front of media cameras gathered around the courthouse. NTV reported that a journalist from their network was lightly injured by a ricocheted bullet. Can Dundar told reporters, "I am fine. The court had entered a recess for the verdict. The attack occurred while we were waiting outside the courthouse for the verdict." "I don’t know who it was or what it was. I just saw a gun pointed at me." Reports indicate that the Istanbul court sentenced Can Dundar to five years and ten months in prison, and Erdem Gul, a writer for the newspaper, to five years in prison. Can Dundar and Erdem Gul were accused of revealing government secrets for publishing a report about Turkey's illegal arms transfer to Syria. The newspaper's report on the discovery of illegal arms shipments at the Syrian border, which reportedly occurred in January 2014, was published last May and fueled speculation about the Turkish government's role in the Syrian civil war and its connections with Islamist groups. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reacted angrily to these claims and personally warned Can Dundar that he would "pay a heavy price" for publishing the report. Can Dundar accused Mr. Erdogan and pro-government media of inciting hatred against him, stating, "We know very well who marked me as a target." In this context, Joe Biden criticized the state of freedom of expression in Turkey.