On the evening of July 7, 2021, Erk Acarer, an exiled Turkish journalist who is a columnist for the Turkish leftist daily BirGün, was attacked outside his home in Berlin by three assailants who used “fists and knives” while one told him, “you will not write,” according to journalist’s video and written accounts on Twitter, and to news reports. Acarer tweeted that he went to the hospital after the attack.
In a July 9 video interview posted to Twitter by German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, Acarer said the attacker told him “You will not write about issues on women and girls.” In the interview, Acarer said he suspects the assailants were linked to a Turkish businessman. Acarer has written about the businessman and his family in columns and on Twitter where the journalist has alleged that the businessman’s family was involved in prostitution, corruption, and drugs.
Acarer told CPJ in an email that the German police are providing security for him and his family since the incident. CPJ emailed the Berlin police department for comment but did not receive a reply.