Slain journalist Uğur Mumcu commemorated on 28th anniversary of his killing

ISTANBUL

Uğur Mumcu, one of Turkey’s most prominent investigative journalists, was commemorated on the 28th anniversary of his killing on Jan. 24.

A commemoration ceremony was held in front of Uğur Mumcu’s house to mark the anniversary of his death in a bomb attack, with the participation of only family members and their close circle due to the pandemic.

During the ceremony, participants lit a “candle against the darkness” for all intellectuals who lost their lives, firstly Mumcu.

Beginning to write as a law student at Ankara University in 1961-1965, he received a Yunus Nadi Award for his article “Turkish Socialism,” published in Turkish daily Cumhuriyet.

After graduating, he worked as an assistant to Tahsin Bekir Balta, a professor at Ankara University’s Faculty of Law, in 1969-1972.

He then began his journalism career, where he penned dozens of books and hundreds of research articles.

Mumcu’s motto, “A journalist must be a trustworthy person,” continues to be a key tenet for future journalists in faculties of communication across Turkey.

Defining journalism as the “medium of talking about struggles in all areas of life,” Mumcu was widely-respected for his credibility and work.

Known for his work on corruption allegations, illegal organizations, and their connections, Mumcu had the confidence to say: “You couldn’t deny any topic I researched and wrote until yesterday morning. So, hit me, tear me apart.”

When he was a student, Mumcu went on trial on charges of insulting the military after he said that the “must be vigilant” in an article. He served only one year of his seven-year sentence after a decision by a higher court.

In 1977, he began to write exclusively for Cumhuriyet and continued his writing a column series titled “Observation” until November 1991.

Mumcu’s assassination

Radical Islamist terrorist organizations İBDA-C and Hezbollah assumed responsibility for Mumcu’s assassination, but the case remains unresolved as the perpetrators were not found during a trial filed six years after Mumcu’s death.

The case, which was held at the 11th Heavy Penal Court in Ankara, became known as the Operation Hope file, as it covered the murders of numerous communists including Ahmet Taner Kışlalı, Muammer Aksoy, and Bahriye Üçok.

Three defendants were sentenced to prison for establishing and managing the illegal organization of Selam-Tevhid and the Army of Jerusalem, while five others were sentenced for membership in the same organization.