Abdi IPEKÇI

Abdi İpekçi (August 9, 1929 - February 1, 1979), Turkish journalist, writer and human rights activist.

Who is Abdi İpekçi?

Abdi İpekçi was born in Istanbul on August 9, 1929. He attended Işık Primary School. He graduated from Galatasaray High School. He then attended law school for a while. He worked as a sports reporter, page secretary and editor-in-chief in various newspapers such as Yeni Sabah, Yeni İstanbul and İstanbul Ekspres. He did his military service in Korea as a reserve officer translator. After returning from the military, İpekçi started working at Milliyet newspaper in 1954. He first worked as editor-in-chief at Milliyet and later rose to the position of editor-in-chief. In 1961, he assumed the position of chief writer at Milliyet.

Throughout his professional life, he made great efforts to organize journalists and to put into practice the professional principles of the press. Abdi İpekçi, whose writings attracted great interest from the public, generally wrote in his publications in defense of peace, freedom of thought, and the independence and integrity of the country. In addition to his work at Milliyet newspaper, İpekçi served as the president of the Journalists' Union of Turkey, the Turkish Press Institute, the second president of the Istanbul Journalists' Association and the International Press Institute, and the secretary general of the Press Court of Honor.

Abdi İpekçi journalism

Throughout his professional life, Abdi İpekçi drew cartoons, made layouts, wrote news articles and columns. After taking over the management of Milliyet, he strived to make ethical journalism in line with universal standards prevail. He transformed his newspaper into one of the first mainstream newspapers in Turkey with its rich content and warm news language, addressing different segments of society at the same time. Recognizing the importance attached to sports, especially football, in Turkey, Milliyet devoted the back page of its newspaper to sports news. For this reason, Milliyet was known for many years as "the newspaper you start reading from the back page".

He systematically applied the important principle of "double verification" in journalism and institutionalized objectivity. Thus, Milliyet became a newspaper where "unchecked and unverified news was not published".

Peace Journalism and Abdi İpekçi

In his editorials in Milliyet newspaper, Abdi İpekçi often wrote about the common past of the Turkish and Greek nations, their unity, and how they would become stronger and more developed nations together. Throughout his lifetime, he was always advocating for the two countries to crown their common past with peace and unity instead of displaying hostile attitudes towards each other.

for the Turkish and Greek journalists. He traveled to Greece many times as a journalist, and organized joint events in the professional organizations of which he was a director for the joint work of Turkish and Greek journalists.

Abdi İpekçi Assassination

İpekçi was in favor of a constructive compromise between the ruling and opposition political leaders in order to prevent the domestic unrest and terrorism of the 1970s. To this end, İpekçi frequently met with the two leaders of the time, Süleyman Demirel and Bülent Ecevit, and conveyed to them the demands of the people to form a joint government. On the night of February 1, 1979, İpekçi returned to Istanbul from Ankara. On his way home from the newspaper, he was murdered by Mehmet Ali Ağca and his friends. After this murder, Ağca traveled abroad and attempted to assassinate Pope John Paul II in Italy. He was arrested and imprisoned for 19 years.

Influence and Legacy

In 1980, as part of a joint effort between Turkey and Greece, the Abdi İpekçi Peace and Friendship Award was established, which is given every two years in memory of Abdi İpekçi. The sports hall located near the Yedikule Dungeons in the Zeytinburnu district of Istanbul was named Abdi İpekçi Arena. On February 6, 1979, Emlak Street, where Abdi İpekçi was shot, was renamed Abdi İpekçi Street by a decision of the Istanbul Municipality Council. A street in Istanbul's Pendik Kavakpınar neighborhood was also renamed Abdi İpekçi Street. In 2000, a 3.5-meter-tall Abdi İpekçi Peace Monument was erected at the spot where he was attacked, designed by sculptor Gürdal Duyar, on a 70 cm high granite pedestal. A street in the Altındağ neighborhood of İzmir's Bornova district was also named Abdi İpekçi in his memory.