Turkey employee takes legal action after CEO throws flower pot at him during argument. Video

Hakki Alkan later issued an apology and acknowledged his actions, attributing them to stress in the workplace.

Hakki Alkan, founder and chief executive of Turkish technology news platform ShiftDelete, faced public scrutiny after CCTV footage showed him throwing a flower pot filled with gravel at one of his employees during a workplace dispute. The video circulated widely on social media, attracting significant attention and criticism.

The employee was identified as Samet Jankovic, who had been working at the outlet for four years. Reports stated that the disagreement stemmed from differences over which content should be published. The dispute escalated until Alkan, visibly angry, picked up a flower pot and hurled it in Jankovic’s direction.

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—(@ersineroglu_) August 30, 2025

Following the incident, Jankovic obtained a medical report and confirmed that he had initiated legal proceedings. On August 29, he posted a statement on X, writing: “He has put a lot of effort into me. Likewise, I have made a considerable contribution to the institution. However, if you attack the man you call your brother in front of people after 4 years, there will naturally be consequences. As someone who serves this institution even at late hours at night. I didn’t deserve this.”

He went on to say: “I obtained a medical report of the assault. The process is in court. I want to make it clear that I will continue on my own path after this process. No matter what happens, every era has its man. Surely, the wheel is gonna turn.”

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— August 29, 2025

Jankovic also accused the company of poor labour practices, writing: “Since the matter is currently in the judicial process, I can’t share much. However, it’s worth reading to the end. None of the extra hours I worked over 4 years were paid, including to me and my friends. Just the other day, the raise that was given to me was cancelled. I’m not even touching on the mobbing part.”

Alkan later issued an apology and acknowledged his actions, attributing them to stress in the workplace. He confirmed that he had shared the surveillance footage with investigators.

His full statement, published by Bianet, read: “Publishing is a tough business, especially digital publishing. Information flows very quickly, our followers have high expectations, and we have a multitude of platforms to publish on. A busy team puts in incredible effort every day to create informative videos.

Just like medicine or policing, publishing is a 24-hour service. As someone who has been doing this job for 20 years and working with approximately 40 people, I’ve had some happy times, as well as some sad ones, like the ones we see today.

My brother Samet, who has made great contributions to our publication for 4 years since he first came, and I had an argument about the content that should be published, and this argument came to a point where we were mutually undesirable.

During the argument, I lost control of my temper and threw the stem of a flower I was carrying at his desk, hitting him. Thankfully, he was not harmed. I also provided security personnel with the before and after images of the incident, including security camera footage from inside the office.

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— Hakkı Alkan (@hakki_alkan) August 31, 2025

It was sad for all of us that Samet and I had a brotherly relationship throughout our working lives and that it had come to this point.

I apologise to my brother Samet and to you all for this situation. I will do everything in my power to manage the stress of our busy work and ensure my teammates can create content in a more peaceful environment. I’m someone who shares every moment with you, so I wanted to share this with you.”

While Alkan expressed regret, Jankovic confirmed that his complaint was moving through the judicial process. His allegations of unpaid overtime, cancelled pay rises, and workplace harassment raised broader concerns about working conditions at the outlet.