Agence France Presse — English
December 6, 2007 Thursday 3:13 PM GMT
Ethnic Greek reporter attacked in Turkey: relative
ISTANBUL, Dec 6 2007
An ethnic Greek journalist was attacked and injured outside his
office here, a relative of the victim told AFP Thursday.
Two men wielding sticks attacked Andreas Robopulos, editor-in-chief
of the Greek-language daily Iho, outside the newspaper’s offices in
the city’s main European district of Beyoglu late Wednesday, the
source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Robopulos, who is also the representative in Turkey of Greece’s
private Mega television, was discharged from hospital after treatment
for a head injury and broken fingers, the relative said, adding that
his assailants had rapidly fled.
"We are wondering what was the reason was for this attack. The
assailants were waiting for Andreas. They did not steal anything,
they did not shout any slogans," the relative said.
Robopulos belongs to Muslim-majority Turkey’s tiny Greek Orthodox
community, estimated to number between 2,000 and 6,000.
A Greek government spokesman said Athens condemned the incident and
asked Ankara to rapidly catch the perpetrators.
"We expect the Turkish authorities to arrest the attackers and put
them on trial, and take steps without delay to ensure such incidents
do not recur," Evangelos Antonaros told AFP in Athens.
He blamed the attack on opponents of normal relations between the two
traditional foes.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, speaking on return from a visit
to Greece, said the authorities had launched an investigation into
the incident "without delay."
The attack follows the murders of a Roman Catholic priest in the
Black Sea city of Trabzon last year, of ethnic Armenian journalist
Hrant Dink in Istanbul in January and three Christian missionaries in
Malatya, eastern Turkey, in April.
The killings have raised concerns that nationalism and hostility
against non-Muslims is on the rise in Turkey at a time when it is
under pressure from the European Union to promote ethnic and
religious tolerance.