Slain journalist Uğur Mumcu commemorated quarter century after his murder

ANKARA

A commemoration ceremony was held for prominent Turkish journalist Uğur Mumcu on Jan. 24 to mark the 25th anniversary of his death in a bomb attack in the Turkish capital Ankara, where he had been assassinated.

An influential journalist, researcher and writer, Mumcu was killed in Ankara 25 years ago on Jan. 24, 1993. A bomb was planted under his car, which was parked in front of his house and exploded when he started the engine.

The memorial took place this year on the street that was named after him following the assassination.

Mumcu’s widow, Güldal Mumcu, as well as his children Özge Mumcu and Özgür Mumcu, were present at the ceremony along with many friends and supporters.

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) head Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, lawmakers from the party and world-renowned Turkish psychedelic-folk artist Selda Bağcan also attended the gathering.

While Bağcan sang a song dedicated to the slain journalist, Kılıçdaroğlu spoke with Mumcu’s family prior to the ceremony.

Accompanied by Kılıçdaroğlu, the Mumcu family first headed to the Unsolved Murders Monument in the Turkish capital and then to lay flowers and light candles in the spot where the journalist was assassinated.

The attendees also held a moment of silence for the visionary journalist.

Known for his investigations on fundamentalism, corruption and terrorism, as well as his many books and articles, Mumcu was commemorated across the country that day.

An avowed secularist, Mumcu was a prominent writer for the daily Cumhuriyet and investigated controversial issues, such as the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Islamist fundamentalism, for which he had received death threats.

An Islamist group with links to Iran was held responsible for the murder, but many are still skeptical that rogue elements within the state organized the assassination to stop Mumcu from progressing in research of alleged ties between the state and the PKK.

Mumcu had been receiving death threats because of the many files he had been investigating—from the assassination attempt on the late Pope John Paul II by a right-wing Turkish gunman, to the relations of drugs and arms smuggling with the Kurdish issue, from the rise of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to the rumored Iranian-Saudi links in political killings of the time.

Despite all of the promises given by successive Turkish governments, Mumcu’s case has still not been entirely solved.