Al Jazeera’s Arabic service reporter Shireen Abu Akleh was shot dead by Israeli fire in the refugee camp in the West Bank, where she was reporting yesterday. Members of the Palestinian Press Association in Turkey gathered in front of the Israeli Consulate in Levent, Istanbul at noon to protest the killing of Akleh. The members of the group, carrying banners with photographs of the murdered journalist, often chanted slogans against Israel. A journalist friend recalled that Akleh once said, 'I am worried that one-day news about me will be published while following the war news'.
Taha Odaoglu, Head of the Palestinian Press Association in Turkey, stated that they had gathered to protest the murder of Akleh. “We condemn the murder of Shireen Abu Akleh in the strongest terms. We condemn the martyrdom of Shireen in the refugee camp in the West Bank by the occupying Israel. We hold the occupying Israel responsible for this attack. While we are working for the freedom of journalists these days, we do not accept that Israel takes such a step. Occupying Israel’s killing of Shireen is a step towards the destruction of truth. Thus, we call on everyone to secure the rights of journalists” stated in the press release on behalf of the Association. The protest ended after the press briefing.
