RTÜK member says government creating a ‘parallel’ organization on state TV for election night

Duvar English

Radio and Television Supreme Council’s (RTÜK) member from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) İlhan Taşçı on May 12 made statements regarding the government's “parallel” organization created on state television TRT for the election night. 

Taşcı said, "What is the purpose of the Directorate of Communication and Interior Ministry staff who have been assigned to TRT for a while? Will any of them work overtime on election day? As (CHP MP) Muharrem Erkek pointed out for the Interior Ministry, is a 'parallel structure' being created in TRT as well?" 

Taşcı on May 11 asked TRT General Director Zahid Sobacı for an appointment and he said that Sobacı did not meet him because “he could not get permission from the Presidential Communications Director (Fahrettin Altun)."

He also stated that all TRT personnel who will be working on election day broadcasts were subjected to a new security investigation and added, “Why was it necessary to conduct a new investigation for these employees who have already been subjected to the necessary security checks as they are civil servants?” 

According to Taşçı, human resources called some staff who had shifts on election day and on the day following the election instructed them not to come to work. Also, some of the 700 new employees who have joined the organization since January have been assigned election-day duties instead of experienced reporters.

Former TRT employee Devrim Gürkan on May 10 claimed that “parallel data” would be projected on TRT screens on the election day and the results would be manipulated. 

Turkey will hold parliamentary and presidential elections on May 14 in the centennial of the foundation of the republic.