FrFriends Of Ex-BBC journalist, 50, found hanged in Turkish airport toilet

Friends of a former BBC journalist (Left in the above image) found hanged in a toilet cubicle at a Turkish airport say it is ‘impossible’ she committed suicide and allege she was murdered.

Former BBC journalist Jacky Sutton, 50, had travelled from London Heathrow to Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport, but is believed to have failed to make it onto her next plane to Erbil.

She then appeared distressed after being told by airline staff that she would have to buy a new ticket – and was later found in the toilets by three Russian passengers, according to local media.

Ms Sutton had arrived in Istanbul on Turkish Airlines flight TK-1986 at about 10pm local time on Saturday night, and was then due to fly to Erbil at about midnight, it was reported.

But Iraqi journalist Mazin Elias, who had worked with her, said it was ‘impossible’ that she committed suicide, alleging that ‘someone killed Jacky’.

He also thought it extremely unlikely she would have missed her flight.

‘No, that’s impossible…we’re not talking about a girl. She’s a woman, an official woman, she’s a big manager,’ he said.

Another friend and colleague, Christian Bleuer, also expressed his doubts on Twitter.

Ge wrote: ‘Toughest woman u could meet. Turkish police say she committed suicide cuz she missed her flight?’

He added: ‘I’m not into conspiracies, but if the Turks say a security camera at Istanbul-Ataturk was “malfunctioning,” then Jacky Sutton was murdered.’

Ms Sutton is believed to have been the acting Iraq director for the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, an organisation that supports journalists and activists in conflict-hit countries.