TGRT and Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu

During my high school years, I had a friend who was known for his social sensitivity and was also quite mischievous. When chatting with him, he would accuse certain names of having a “TGRT-style mindset.” According to him, this expression had reached a rather amusing stage among his friends after a while. So much so that instead of talking at length about a person, they would just call them “TGRT-minded” and end the conversation there.

The acronym TGRT stands for “Türkiye Gazetesi Radyo Televizyonu” (Turkey Newspaper Radio Television). We could say that just as the publication line, programmers, newspaper columnists, and in short, the institution's outlook on life were at that time, the mindset was somewhat aligned with that. Therefore, being “TGRT-minded” represents the sum of these broadcasts, the position the institution has taken ideologically, and the place it has acquired regarding existence as a whole.

I think it is necessary to elaborate on this place a little.

It was months ago. Journalist Metin Cihan shared the WhatsApp correspondence of TGRT Haber with us on his social media account. According to this, Aslıhan Ören, the wife of the news channel's owner and also the head of İhlas Media Group, was intervening in the lower-third graphics (KJ) written for a news report, saying, “Why are we always doing negative KJs?” and continuing: “Who am I explaining what to, friends, there is no negative KJ.” When these correspondences were leaked, Ms. Aslıhan wrote to the group again, saying “it will not happen” with expressions full of exclamation marks, and did not neglect to say “whoever does not want to do it should resign immediately,” finally concluding her words as follows: “Last warning!! Come on, let someone give what I wrote to someone now, I am waiting.”

So, what was the KJ that angered Ms. Aslıhan so much? “Poverty Forces Children to Work.” Yes, that was the KJ written under the news. They were uncomfortable with this KJ. Well, wasn't it like that? Wasn't poverty forcing children to work and including most of them in working life under slave conditions at earlier ages?

In the news report that Ms. Aslıhan objected to, her colleagues had shared data that also answered these questions. According to TGRT Haber, the number of registered child workers was 970 thousand, the number of children working within the scope of vocational training was 504 thousand, and the labor force participation rate of children was 24.9 percent. Perhaps this was one of the points that angered Ms. Aslıhan. Since she could not say “do not share the data,” she was saying “do not write negative KJs.” As if another KJ could be written for this data.

Wouldn't it be better if Barış Yarkadaş and Gürkan Hacır, who make programs on TGRT these days and claim to be shouting the truth from there, also made a program about this issue, and talked about child labor, poverty, and press freedom? Since the issue is about rights and truth, we would like to see them there as well.

I don't think we will see them; if that were the case, these names would first show a reaction to the incident that occurred and express their objections in the name of freedom of the press and expression. But we saw this: Ms. Aslıhan shared a photo of Barış Yarkadaş from a program that was again heavily focused on the CHP on her Instagram account, and subsequently, Yarkadaş shared that post on his own account. What can we say, may their friendship be lasting.

However, the relationship between the CHP and Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, whom Yarkadaş now defends so desperately, and the TGRT group was not very good in the past. In 2019, Kılıçdaroğlu spoke about the mentioned group as follows:

“I will talk about the 'İhlas victims.' 70 thousand people... I will talk about a Turkey where 70 thousand people were fleeced. They took their money and deposited it in İhlas Finans for the sake of interest-free earnings. The İhlas victims have been seeking their rights for 18 years.”

Kılıçdaroğlu had continued his statements with the legislative proposal he said he would make at that time. Accordingly, the loss experienced by the İhlas victims would be compensated following a legislative proposal to be submitted by the CHP. “If you are on the side of the rights of the people, if you believe in God, you will say yes to this law,” Kılıçdaroğlu was saying. But it didn't happen; the mentioned legislative proposal was rejected by the votes of the AKP and MHP as always.

Meanwhile, in 2005, Mücahit Ören, the son of Enver Ören, who was accused of defrauding citizens of approximately one billion dollars under the name of 'interest-free banking,' and Ayhan Apak were sentenced to 1 year and 4 months in prison each in this case. In an article he wrote in 2017 titled “İhlas Finans Should Be Liquidated, the Poor Should Smile,” Ahmet Hakan also said, “the debts of the citizens should be paid with the assets belonging to İhlas Finans.” Well, what would happen if these assets were not enough to pay the debt? Hakan also had an answer to this question, let's read it together:

“'Pay this debt of yours' will be said to the American Mücahit.”

Then the American Mücahit will have to give up a little bit of the life he lives in luxury and ostentation and pay his debt to the poor citizens.

My suggestion to the American Mücahit: Try to put your 7 million Euro villa in Bodrum up for sale immediately.”

Let us return to the CHP-İhlas and therefore the TGRT front. In those days, the Türkiye newspaper had given a harsh response to Kılıçdaroğlu's statements regarding the İhlas victims, and they had titled the news they made about it as follows: “Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the Spokesperson of FETÖ.”

The news started as follows: “Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who was brought to the head of the CHP by FETÖ's tape conspiracy, is still paying a ransom to Pennsylvania... Kılıçdaroğlu, who clung to the FETÖ montage in the 17/25 December judicial coup and mysteriously slipped away from among the FETÖ members on July 15, claimed ownership of the FETÖ members again at the group meeting.”

Actually, this language and the evaluations made cannot be called news. But since this is not our topic, let's continue for now. And let us also share these words from the article in question:

“Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu tried to pass off the news full of slander, whose only goal is to smear İhlas Holding, as 'journalistic success.' The leader of the main opposition even dared to badmouth İhlas Holding, a local and national institution of this country.”

As can be seen, the CHP and the TGRT front did not have a good history at all. On the contrary, there was a state of hostility with mutual accusations and allegations. Please allow me to share one more anecdote from this article. In this article dated February 6, 2019, Barış Yarkadaş, now a popular star of TGRT screens, was also included, and it was stated that he “organized a visit to support Bugün Newspaper, another publication organ of FETÖ.” It was a famous saying, wasn't it: “From where to where.”

As I mentioned above, while the information reflected from the channel specifically for TGRT and the mentioned group in general sheds light on the past, it also gave a message to the future. It is obvious, I think, what kind of a Turkey is desired with a newspaper where Cem Küçük, Ahmet Şimşirgil, and Atilla Yayla write, and with programs and news content broadcast on this axis. If you think that such a Turkey can have a prosperous, fair, and libertarian structure, there is nothing to say; if you don't think so, we don't need to state that you will be responsible for every word you say and every program you appear on.

For example, Cem Küçük stated the following in an article: "Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek is a courageous man of law. He has started to hold the Gezi terror acts to account. The media wing of Gezi will be gathered soon. Hearts are cooling down."

Ahmet Şimşirgil also said the following about the CHP: “The CHP is a party that closed mosques, banned the Holy Quran and the call to prayer, was at the heart of coups, and is the backyard of coup plotters. This person should not look for the massacre and oppression far away, but in the history of his party.”

What can we say, the interpretation and appreciation are yours.

Let's come to the news that also gave rise to our article title.

Accordingly, in an interview he gave to Fatih Atik from TGRT Haber, former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu spoke about the channel as follows:

“I follow the comments on TGRT Haber with appreciation. Thank you for your objective journalism.”

There is a lot to be said, but I think even the history that I tried to summarize briefly above speaks and cries out without the need for interpretation.

I just want to ask this question: Think again from the past to the present, from its columnists to its journalism line, Mr. Kemal. Is this really the medium you appreciate and follow?