Can Dündar

Can Dündar
Can Dündar receiving the 2015 Reporters Without Borders Prize
Born	(1961-06-16) 16 June 1961 Ankara, Turkey
Nationality	Turkish
Education	Journalism at Ankara University, Faculty of Political Science (SBF), Journalism at London School of Journalism (LSJ), Political science at Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ)
Occupation	Columnist, TV host, documentarian
Title	Ph.D.
Spouse(s)	Dilek Dündar
Family	Ege Dündar (son)

Can Dündar (born 16 June 1961 in Ankara) is a Turkish journalist, columnist and documentarian. The editor-in-chief of center-left Cumhuriyet newspaper, he was arrested in November 2015 after his newspaper published footage showing the State Intelligence MİT sending weapons to Syrian Islamist fighters.

One of the best known figures in Turkish media, he was described as possessing "impeccable republican credentials". Dündar wrote for several newspapers, produced many television programs for state-owned TRT and various private channels including CNN Türk and NTV, and published over 20 books.

Early life and education

Dündar studied journalism at Ankara University, Faculty of Political Science and graduated in 1982. He continued his education in London School of Journalism in 1986. Can Dündar received his master's degree in 1988 and in 1996 earned his Ph.D. in political science from Middle East Technical University, Ankara.

Publicistic career

Dündar contributed to various print publications, including Hürriyet (1983 - 1985), Nokta, Haftaya Bakış, Söz and Tempo. He wrote for Sabah from January 1999 to April 2000 and Milliyet from January 2000. On television he has been involved in Yanki (1979 - 1983) and 32. Gün (1989 - 1995) among others.

His work often "traces Turkey’s evolution into a modern nation and provides historical and political detail regarding crucial events, debates, and conflicts." This includes profiles of historical and political figures such as Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Ismet Inönü, Nazim Hikmet and Vehbi Koç. His screenplay for the 2008 film Mustafa depicted the founder of the Republic of Turkey as a regular man with fears, passions and human expectations, rather than a life-size hero.

2015 arrest

Until then a longstanding columnnist for Milliyet, Dündar was laid off in August 2013 for "writing too sharply" about the Gezi protests and the developments in Egypt, as the paper's owner Erdoğan Demirören put it. Dündar recalled: "It was said to me, ‘We do not wish to see stories that will displease the prime minister in this paper. Everything displeases them, and after they are displeased, they go after us’."

Subsequently, he turned to center-left Cumhuriyet, and on 8 February 2015 became the newspaper's new editor-in-chief. In November, Cumhuriyet was awarded the 2015 Reporters Without Borders Prize for its "independent and courageous journalism."

Shortly thereafter, Dündar was arrested, together with Cumhuriyet's Ankara bureau chief Erdem Gül, on charges of being members of a terror organization, espionage and revealing confidential documents, facing sentences up to life imprisonment. The investigations had been launched in May, after the newspaper published photos depicting weapons transferred to Syria in trucks of the National Intelligence Organization, subject of the MİT trucks scandal. In June 2015, Turkish President Erdoğan had publicly targeted Dündar, stating: "The individual who reported this as an exclusive story will pay a heavy price for this."

Private life

Married to Dilek Dündar, the couple has one child. His father allegedly worked for the National Intelligence Organization.

Documentaries

• Demirkırat (1991),
• 12 Mart (March 12)(1994),
• Cumhuriyetin Kraliçeleri (The Queens of the Republic) (1992),
• Sarı Zeybek (The Yellow [Blond] Zeybek) (1993), Gölgedekiler (The ones in the shadow)(1994–1995),
• Yükselen Bir Deniz (The Rising Sea)(1998),
• İsmet Paşa (1999),
• Devlet Tiyatroları (Government theaters)(1999),
• Köy Enstitüleri (Village Institutes) (2000),
• Halef (The Successor) (2003),
• Nazım Hikmet (2002),
• Bir Yaşam İksiri (A life potion) (2003),
• Yüzyılın Aşkları (Loves of the century)(2004),
• Karaoğlan (Black boy)(2004),
• Garip: Neset Ertas Belgeseli (Strange: The Neset Ertas Documentary)(2005),
• Mustafa (2008)
• Delikanlım İyi Bak Yıldızlara (2012)

Books

• Hayata ve Siyasete Dair (About Life and Politics)),
• Yağmurdan Sonra (After the Rain),
• Ergenekon. The first book on Ergenekon.
• Yarim Haziran (My Love June),
• Benım Gençliğim (My youth),
• Köy Enstitüleri (Village Institutions),
• Yaveri Atatürk'ü Anlatıyor (Atatürk's assistant talks about him),
• Nereye? (Where to?),
• Uzaklar (Far away places),
• Yükselen Deniz (Rising Sea),
• Savaşta Ne Yaptın Baba? (What did you do in the war, father?),
• Büyülü Fener (Magic Lantern),
• Bir Yaşam İksiri (A life potion),
• Mustafa Kemal Aramızda (Mustafa Kemal is Among Us),
• Yıldızlar (The stars),
• Demirkırat,
• Sarı Zeybek (Yellow zeybek),
• Gölgedekiler (The ones in the shadow)
• İlk Türk Hititologu: Sedat Alp, (First Turkish hittitologue: Sedat Alp)
• Kırmızı Bisiklet (Red bike),
• Nazım,
• Karaoğlan (Black boy),
• Vehbi Koç,
• İsmet Paşa,
• Yüzyılın Aşkları (The loves of the century),
• Yakamdaki Yüzler (The faces on my collar),
• Ben Böyle Veda Etmeliyim (I should say goodbye like that).

External links

• (Turkish)