I had been regularly contributing to International Yacht Vacations & Charters magazine for several years when in June I contracted with the publication for three articles with an Agust 1 deadline.
I completed the articles by the deadline, but it became apparent that International Yacht Vacations & Charters was experiencing problems it would not define to me.
I complained of non-payment for the completed articles.
The publisher then asked me to complete additional tasks and said they would pay me upon completion of those tasks.
I completed the additional tasks, but the publisher did not pay me.
I was not particularly thinking of this publisher any longer when in June I recevied an e-mail from them saying that they have a new editorial team and wanted me to return to contributing to International Yacht Vacations & Charters magazine.
I said that I would be pleased to return as a contributor but that first the outstanding payments due me would have to be paid.
The new editor said she was "sorry" for any problems in the past but said she was assuring me that the publication is in good standing now. As the company owes me money for work completed under contract, I do not consider valid the statement that the publication is in good standing.
The new editors claimed no knowledge of the contracts the company had broken with me, but I have full documentation of them. The CEO of Sys-Con Media, Fuat Kircaali is still in his position, so I sent an e-mail to him copied to the new editorial staff asking for the situation to be resolved and saying that were it not resolved that I would reserve my free-speech right to inform the freelance community of how I had been treated.
That received no response.
So on Thursday, June 19, I called the new editor. She is a new employee of the magazine and not responsible for her company superiors' abuses of freelancers, so as a courtesy to her I am not putting her name here.
We discussed the situation in a business-like manner. When I asked her what the company's intentions are regarding the payment due me for the three articles I completed for it under contract, she asked me to hold.
Onto the line came a man affecting a hysterical demeanor, telling me that the conversation was going to be recorded and forwarded. Hollering at me, he said that what I am doing is "terrorism" and "threatening" that there are federal laws against it and that if I make one more call to anybody in the company or send one more message to anybody in the company, I will be arrested. When I say that this man was affecting a hysterical demeanor, what I mean is that I do not think he is mentally ill, I think that this affected demeanor was a ruse to attempt to intimidate me and to avoid paying me the money I am due. He was speaking in something of an excited jumble, but telling me that he has "the folders" all ready to be presented to the police in Woodcliff Lakes, New Jersey and where I live. He hollered that I had better call my lawyer because I am going to be arrested and put in jail by midnight tonight.
I asked for his name and he told me he is Engin Sezici, the company's "Security Officer." But a current online biography of Engin Sezici says that he is a "blogger at large" for Sys-Con Media.
Freelancers considering working for any of Sys-Con Media's or Kircaali Media's publications should take the above under advisement in determining whether the risk of working for these companies or any company owned by Fuat Kircaali is worthwhile.
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