ANKARA
The Anadolu Agency (AA) has filed 92 lawsuits over verbal and physical attacks and unlawful allegations against the agency, its managers and employees during and after the Turkish local elections on March 30.
Turkey's leading news agency said Tuesday that its legal counsel had taken action against TV presenters, politicians, columnists, newspapers and websites who defamed AA and violated its rights.
AA also filed requests for material and non-pecuniary damages and for disavowals of the defamatory allegations.
AA is suing Taraf newspaper for 15,000 Turkish Liras over its misleading statements that attempt to discredit AA’s commercial and economic reputation and to minimize the company’s brand value.
Compensation cases were also opened against several TV presenters and columnists for their use of incorrect information in targeting AA and its General Director Kemal Ozturk on and after elections day.
Criminal lawsuits have also been filed against the suspected attackers who physically assaulted, insulted and threatened an AA employee in the northeastern Turkish city of Bayburt on April 3 as he was reporting on the local elections.
Meanwhile, legal preparations are also continuing against the cyber attacks by hacker groups that slowed data flow to the agency’s servers on elections night.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
