The Cyprus Journalists’ Union (Esk) on Monday expressed serious concern for the safety of Turkish Cypriot journalist Ayşemden Akin after she reportedly received death threats over a corruption story allegedly involving Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“The union stands in solidarity with her and calls on all defenders of freedom of expression and freedom of the press, to express their solidarity and support for Aysemden Akin, in this difficult moment for her journalistic career,” Esk said.

Akin, editor of the Turkish Cypriot online newspaper Bugün Kıbrıs, reported last Wednesday that she had received a death threat following her interviews with Cemil Onal.

Onal had accused high-ranking Turkish officials of involvement in a money-laundering and smuggling network. He was shot dead in the Netherlands the day after Akin went public with the threats
Esk expressed solidarity with Akin, joining the Turkish Cypriot Press Workers’ Union Basın-Sen in condemning the reported threats, which it described as ‘worryingly serious.’

The union further denounced what it called yet another ‘silencing operation’ against “media and journalists in the occupied part of Cyprus”.

According to Akin, she had received a 27-minute phone call from a Turkish number warning her that she would be killed if she continued publishing the interviews, with the caller reportedly telling her that three people had been sent to Cyprus ‘to do what is necessary’.

Akin reported that she recorded the call in full and had submitted it to the Turkish Cypriot police already.