Turkey arrests editor-in-chief of one of biggest opposition broadcaster

Furkan Karabay / DUVAR

A Turkish court on Jan. 30 arrested Suat Toktaş, the editor-in-chief one of Turkey’s biggest opposition broadcaster Halk TV.

The court released four journalists within two days in the same investigation, namely Halk TV’s Seda Selek, Serhan Asker, Barış Pehlivan and Kürşad Oğuz.

This investigation involves “concerning an expert witness who was appointed in ongoing investigations and court proceedings,” and the journalists were detained over the charges of “recording and disclosing private conversations” and “attempting to influence an expert witness.”

Barış Pehlivan on Jan. 27 broadcast a phone call with Satılmış Büyükcanayakın, an expert witness in the string of cases against main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) mayors. According to the prosecutor’s office, the conversation was recorded and shared “without authorization.”

In his testimony, Pehlivan stated he contacted the expert as a journalistic reflex, unaware the conversation would be aired. Selek and Asker also rejected any prior knowledge of the broadcast.

The editor-in-chief of the Halk TV, Suat Toktaş, said, “(This is not scripted), this is a routine act of journalism. I am accused of a ridiculous allegation that is not based on any legal basis. We did the right journalism by giving the right to reply (to Büyükcanayakın). Regardless of his opinion, an accusation was made and the accused person was reached (by us) and given the right to speak. It is purely a journalistic activity and reflex.”

Recently, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu had accused expert witness Satılmış Büyükcanayakın of misconduct, saying he had been assigned to all investigations regarding CHP municipalities in Istanbul and been filing reports against them. Büyükcanayakın was a key figure in the string of lawsuits that resulted in the arrests of CHP Istanbul district mayors Rıza Akpolat and Ahmet Özer.

Toktaş also said, “Barış Pehlivan has already said 'I don't know if it will be broadcast, it was a spontaneous reflex, the person in question calls and starts talking. Barış carried out journalistic activity. The other party did not say 'Don't broadcast these'. I asked Barış, 'Do you have permission or will they sue?' I've been a journalist for 38 years, I'm 56 years old, I take responsibility for what I do. When Barış replied, ‘Man, we are journalists,' I thought it was permitted. We did not edit any part of the conversation.”

The court arrested Toktaş on the grounds of “suspicion of fleeing, hiding and destroying evidence”.

The detentions and Toktaş’s arrest are seen as a new crackdown attempt of the government to silence the opposition media. 

CHP leader Özgür Özel said Toktaş’s arrest “is a clear attack not only on freedom of the press but also on the public's right to information.” 

“To change this order, for the rule of law, for a free society, the only solution is change! The only solution is the ballot box!,” he added.

(English version by Alperen Şen)

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