AK Party expels three members in journalist attack case

ANKARA

Three Justice and Development (AK) Party members suspected of being involved in the attack on Turkish journalist Ahmet Hakan Coskun have been expelled from their party as a “precautionary move”, a senior party official announced Friday.

Three AK Party members, said to be involved in the attack, were dismissed from the party as a precautionary move, AK Party Deputy Chairman and spokesperson Omer Celik announced via his official Twitter account.

“Such mentality has no place in our party. The ones who have such a mentality have been condemned by our party; [they] cannot even pass by AK Party, let alone be a member. Such people who resort to violence will be expelled swiftly. These people cannot have any organizational bond with AK Party,” Celik said in a series of tweets.

Coskun, a columnist for the Hurriyet daily newspaper and host of a television show for CNN Turk network, suffered a broken nose and ribs following the assault on Thursday, according to media and hospital sources.

Police later detained four suspects in the attack, which took place outside Coskun’s Istanbul home.

Coskun underwent an operation on his nose on Friday.