Slain journalist Abdi İpekçi commemorated

ISTANBUL

Prominent Journalist Abdi İpekçi, who died in an armed attack, was remembered on his 44th death anniversary with various ceremonies held to commemorate him on Feb. 1.

It has been 44 years since journalist İpekçi, the editor-in-chief and lead columnist of daily Millliyet, was killed an armed attack in front of his house in Istanbul’s Şişli district.

Ceremonies were held in the place where his house is located and his mausoleum in the Zincirlikuyu Cemetery with the participation of his family, friends and many journalists.

Born in Istanbul in 1929, he finished high school at Galatasaray High School, one of the leading schools of the country, in 1948.

He attended Istanbul University’s Law Department.

His professional career started as a sports reporter in the daily Yeni Sabah, a daily published between 1938 and 1964.

İpekçi joined the daily Milliyet in 1954 and became its editor-in-chief in 1959.

Since the beginning of his journalism career, he penned dozens of articles.

On Feb. 1, 1979, İpekçi was murdered in his car on the way back home from his office in front of his house in Şişli’s Nişantaşı neighborhood.

The street where he lived and was killed was renamed the Abdi İpekçi Avenue.

On Feb. 1, 2000, a statue erected by the Şişli Municipality near the place where he was murdered was unveiled in his commemoration.