A shocking incident from Turkey has gone viral after CCTV footage captured the CEO of a tech news company hurling a flower pot at his employee during an office argument.
Hakki Alkan, CEO of ShiftDelete, a Turkish technology news outlet, was seen angrily throwing a flower pot filled with gravel at employee Samet Jankovic.
The altercation reportedly stemmed from a disagreement over the content to be published.
The video, which has been widely shared across social media platforms, sparked outrage among viewers, with many criticising the toxic workplace culture it revealed.
Employee Takes Legal Action Against CEO
Following the incident, Jankovic obtained a medical report and has initiated legal proceedings against Alkan.
He is the editor-in-chief of ShiftDelete.
Taking to X, Jankovic wrote, “If you attack the man you call your brother in front of people after four years, there will naturally be consequences.”
“None of the extra hours I worked over the years were paid, including for my colleagues. The recent raise I was given was also cancelled. This process is now in court. He did contribute a lot to my career, and I also contributed significantly to the organisation. But if you attack someone you’ve called your brother for four years in front of others, there will obviously be consequences. As someone who has served this company even late into the night, I didn’t deserve this”
Samet Jankovic
He also accused the company of workplace harassment and unfair treatment, adding that he plans to continue his career independently after the case is resolved.
CEO Issues Public Apology
Alkan later issued a public apology and shared the CCTV footage with investigators.
In a statement published by Bianet, Alkan admitted to losing his temper but claimed that the incident was not premeditated.
“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.”
Hakki Alkan
Samet Jankovic had worked for Hakki Alkan for four years. According to the CEO, Samet has made great contributions to the company.
He expressed his gratitude that Jankovic was not harmed in the incident.
“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.”
Hakki Alkan
The CEO revealed how sad he was to have bring the relationship with his employee to such a state.
“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 apologize 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.”
Hakki Alkan
The incident has sparked conversations online about workplace stress, toxic management practices, and the importance of addressing conflicts professionally.
The legal proceedings are currently underway, and more details are expected to emerge in the coming weeks.
READ ALSO: Akwatia By-Election Offers Lessons Politicians Ignore at their own Peril – Prof. Asare
