Are there no football writers who bet?

The "betting investigation" launched by the Football Federation has been progressing since day one by staining and branding referees, club executives, and football figures.

Indeed, Federation President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu, while defending the referrals to the Professional Football Discipline Committee in his latest press conference, said exactly this:

"There are people who think they have been victimized; they are talking a lot. We have no intention of victimizing anyone. Whoever is innocent will prove their innocence."

First, you turn their football lives upside down; then you say, "Prove your innocence." Apparently, no one is talking to Hacıosmanoğlu about the principle of presumption of innocence or the right not to be stigmatized. There is a deep level of injustice in his statements, which are based on data obtained from only two of the six companies. Among those being punished are referees who placed a single bet; however, 47 football players who also placed a single bet are not being referred to the Discipline Committee, and their names are not even being disclosed!

You may recall that one of the first names accused and publicly declared a "betting referee" was Zorbay Küçük. When his name was heard, he was subjected to very harsh insults and lynching on social media. The Federation also took an administrative precautionary decision, but soon after, when Zorbay Küçük proved that his personal information had been stolen and that he had not placed any bets, he was cleared; the administrative measure was lifted. Fortunately, he "proved his innocence," but there are hundreds of football people left behind trying to clear their names.

The "betting scandal" also has a side that concerns the media; Hacıosmanoğlu said there is also a "football commentator" who bets. Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek also said, "A sports commentator is betting through his spouse; we have detected this. Let's not give names for now." These statements also cast a shadow over the football media. Because some commentators are journalists.

Although no name has emerged so far, among those arrested is Umut Eken from Fanatik newspaper. However, he was arrested not because he placed bets, but on the grounds of "publicly disseminating misleading information" because he wrote about some referees who bet and the impact of their betting on the matches they officiated. It is unfair for a journalist to be subjected to the same punishment as bettors and match-fixers just because of what they wrote.

Journalism professional organizations should stand by Umut Eken; they should also meet with Football Federation officials to identify the names of any football writers and journalists who bet. Because, even if it is not a crime, it is an ethically problematic behavior for a football writer or commentator to place bets. A journalist cannot use the information they obtain for financial gain or publish in line with their personal interests; they should not...

THE CONFESSION OF THE REAL REASON

It is a futile effort for us to try to prove the meaninglessness of the accusations directed at the news and statements of journalists. Because what is being judged and convicted is not a single act.

Fatih Altaylı was not convicted for threatening President Erdoğan with his words in that program. Those who convicted him also know that there is no such threat. The threat is just a pretext fabricated to punish Altaylı for all his previous actions and statements.

Those who do not believe it can look at the program on TGRT Haber where Cem Küçük said, "He was lying every day," and his article in Türkiye newspaper titled, "When will you engage in self-criticism?" In this article, Küçük tried to justify Altaylı's 4-year and 2-month prison sentence by giving examples of Altaylı's previous words and actions, asking, "Does this man have no guilt at all?"

Just like Cem Küçük, the newspaper Yeni Akit also gave examples of Altaylı's previous words in its news reports titled, "The foul-mouthed Fatih also got what he deserved." It will be remembered that it was President's Chief Advisor Oktay Saral's post, "Your water is heating up," that led to Altaylı's arrest.

These publications, which do not discuss the words of Altaylı that were the subject of the crime, are actually a confession of lawlessness. It is a confession that Altaylı is being punished for his past words and actions.

The same lawlessness is applied to our other journalist colleagues. Neither is Zafer Arapkirli being tried for a single post, nor were Merdan Yanardağ and Furkan Karabay thrown into prison for a single word or action. The real reason is their critical journalistic activities...

THE KURDISH MEDIA SPOILED THE SECRECY PLAN

It had been announced on the morning of Monday, November 24, that a delegation of three deputies would go to Imrali island that day. It was İpek Özbey from Sözcü TV who made the first contact with AKP Deputy Chairman Hüseyin Yayman. She sent a message to Yayman at 11:02, and the response she received was, "Tuesday or Wednesday." In other words, they were not going that day!

However, rumors spread in the afternoon that the delegation had gone to Imrali and returned. Deniz Zeyrek was also one of the journalists who called Hüseyin Yayman that day. He answered the question, "Did you go?" by saying, "No, I am at the hospital." He said they would go "tomorrow or Wednesday."

When journalists from İlke TV reached Yayman, it was a bit later. Yayman told them, "This information is wrong. I did not go to the island, and I don't know who went." But other sources reached by İlke TV confirmed that the commission members had gone to Imrali Island.

Indeed, shortly after, JINHA and the Mezopotamya Agency (MA) published the news that the delegation had gone to Imrali that day, met with Öcalan, and returned from the island. DEM Party sources speaking to T24 also confirmed that they had returned from the island. The Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey had to make a statement confirming the meeting after the news spread.

The fact that the news came out from JINHA and the Mezopotamya Agency, that the DEM members confirmed it immediately, that Yayman misled the journalists, and the silence of MHP's Feti Yıldız indicate that the AKP-MHP side wanted to keep the meeting with Öcalan secret, but the news reports spoiled the plan.

Like Yayman, the pro-government media also struggled to keep the meeting secret and not to amplify it after it was heard. Pro-government media outlets either did not report or discuss the news of the visit to Öcalan at all, or they brushed it off as small, short news items... Perhaps if DEM's Gülistan Koçyiğit had not spoken to MA, the content of the meeting with Öcalan would have been kept secret as well.

Calling this meeting, which means Öcalan is accepted as an "interlocutor," an "Imrali visit" instead of naming it "visiting Öcalan" is also a kind of cover-up effort. Moreover, they are careless. I had warned them, but there are still those who use a photo of Yassıada instead of Imrali...

NEWS ABOUT THE ÖZEL-DEMİRTAŞ MEETING

Nefes newspaper reported, "On the day the parliamentary commission goes to Imrali to listen to Öcalan, Özel will meet with Demirtaş at Edirne Prison if he has not been released yet."

Two days later, the Mezopotamya Agency (MA) published the news that "DEM Party sources confirmed the claim that Özgür Özel would visit Selahattin Demirtaş." Upon this, a statement was made from the CHP, which had remained silent after the first news, that no such visit was planned.

Indeed, three deputies from the AKP, MHP, and DEM went to Imrali island and met with Abdullah Öcalan. However, there was no initiative from Özel to meet with Demirtaş.

In this case, Nefes has an obligation to provide accurate information to its readers and announce that their news turned out to be incorrect. MA also reported the CHP's statement, but the incorrect news remains in a separate link. That should also either be deleted or the link to the statement news should be added to that report.

The essential thing is to inform the reader correctly and to remove the news that is understood to be incorrect.

WRONG METHODS IN OBJECTING TO NEWS

CHP Mersin Deputy Hasan Ufuk Çakır appeared at the commission meeting in Parliament, shouted, yelled, and said, "Slander," "I protest," "The owner of the channel that slanders me like this must first come to Turkey and answer to justice."

What happened? The news titled, "He had called for 'They must be cleared' for the arrested mayors: CHP's Çakır's old judicial archive records emerged," which caused him to get so angry, is still on halktv.com.tr. Çakır just ensured that more people heard about the news, that's all.

The way for a politician to correct negative news about themselves cannot be shouting and yelling in Parliament. The way to respond to news is to first call that media organization and prove your justification with documents. If that is not enough, you apply to the judiciary for the right of reply and correction.

Gürsel Tekin, who was appointed as the "head of the call committee" to the CHP Istanbul Provincial Presidency, also complained that he could not appear on the screens of Halk TV, Sözcü TV, and NOW TV. Tekin said, "He would use his right of reply by appearing on these channels with a court order."

Trying to appear on TV with a court order is also a wrong initiative that constitutes interference with media freedom. Halk TV, Sözcü TV, and NOW TV are not obliged to put Gürsel Tekin, whom they describe as a "trustee," on the screen. Courts cannot decide who will appear on TV.

Tekin sends his response text; if it is not published, he can apply to the judiciary. However, there is no such method as "using the right of reply by appearing on the screen" in the RTÜK law, nor in journalistic ethical principles...

Another reaction to news came from Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş. Yavaş did not like the news on the Elips Haber site that "Deputies who came together in the CHP and are known for their nationalist past are preparing for the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality elections." He showed his reaction by blocking this site's X account instead of making a statement regarding the news.

For a politician, this is also a wrong method; communication is not established by blocking.

EARLY GOOD NEWS FOR PATIENTS

Akşam newspaper, in its headline "Domestic SMA drug is ready," provides the information that "the production process of the domestic drug, which has been worked on for 7 years for SMA patients, has been completed"; and gave the good news that "the drug, for which clinical and licensing studies have begun, will be given to patients free of charge."

However, Hürriyet reported this development regarding "the signing of a protocol between the Health Institutes Presidency and Polifarma Pharmaceuticals for the production of the active ingredient and the drug for SMA treatment" with the headline "Turkey will produce SMA drug.".

Because "starting clinical and licensing studies" does not mean that a drug is completed. It only shows that the trial process is ongoing. We learned from the discussions about vaccine production during the pandemic that clinical studies are divided into stages.

A drug can receive a license after passing four separate "PHASE" stages. Only then does it become a drug that all patients can use, that is, it becomes "Ready." Presenting a drug that, according to the company's chairman of the board Süleyman Kumrulu, could take "1.5 - 2 years" for clinical study and licensing processes as if it could immediately be a cure for patients' troubles, and giving people unnecessary hope, is wrong...

In one sentence:

A fuel company took journalists from Dünya, Ekonomi, Hürriyet, Habertürk, Milliyet, Posta, and Yeni Şafak to Amsterdam to introduce its newly produced synthetic fuel; they also published promotional news.

Sabah and Türkiye, in their news "5-hour hostage crisis at the university," published the attacker's photo with his face visible, despite coding his name.

Sözcü's headline, "Reactions continue to the demolition decision of the Anatolian High School," was wrong; the news contained the words of MHP Chairman Bahçeli regarding unappointed teachers.

Haber Global TV, in its news "Stopped the knife attacker with a fruit crate," displayed "violence porn" by repeating the footage of the woman being stabbed over and over again.

FOR YOUR CRITICISM, COMPLAINTS, AND SUGGESTIONS: [email protected]