Turkish TV fires journalist of Armenian descent

Turkish TV fires journalist of Armenian descent

PanARMENIAN.Net - A Turkish Bugun TV journalist of Armenian descent, Hayko Bagdat was fired under court-approved supervisory actions, Yerkir.am reports.

The journalist confirmed the news with a tweet.

Several months ago, Bagdat filed a lawsuit against Ankara Mayor Melih Gokcek.

In March, Gokcek made what some see as a verbal attack on Cem Özdemir, the co-chairman of the Green Party in Germany, writing on Twitter: "I am asking Özdemir just out of curiosity... Please give me a response Cem Özdemir... Are you of Armenian origin?"

Gokcek's tweets came after Özdemir called on Turkey to recognize the killings of Armenians during the last years of the Ottoman Empire as Genocide.

In response to Gokcek's tweets, Bagdat posted several tweets mocking Gokcek's question. "Reply Cem Özdemir! ... You are said to be an Armenian," posted Bagdat.

In his following tweets, Bagdat suggested that Gokcek is Armenian. "I formally say you are an Armenian. In my opinion, you should sue me @06melihgokcek," Bagdat wrote.

"The capital city [Ankara] was handed over to an Armenian! What a shame! I wait for you to come to church on Sunday @06melihgokcek. We are all grieving…" wrote Bagdat.

After these tweets, Gokcek first filed a criminal complaint against Bagdat and then filed a lawsuit demanding compensation of TL 10,000 for psychological damages, arguing that Bagdat's remarks defining him as an Armenian were insulting and libelous, and made with the intention of harming Gokcek's reputation.

Bagdat also used a hashtag #melihGokcek ermeniymiş" (Melih Gokcek turns out to be Armenian), which Gokcek referenced in his lawsuit.

In response, Bagdat announced the lawsuit on Twitter, saying: "Turns out Melih Gokcek sued me demanding TL 10,000 for calling him Armenian. We are going to have so much fun."

After that case was launched, Bagdat filed a counterclaim against Gokcek based on the content of Gokcek's claims against Bagdat, stressing that the word "Armenian" had been used to defame and insult him, amounting to an "explicit example of an attack on his rights and honor."

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