Defendant in the IMM case, witness in the CHP case

The testimony of Adem Soytekin, one of the confessors in the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) case, was reported in the pro-government media with headlines such as "I gave a 500 thousand dollar bribe," while the opposition media used headlines like "It collapsed, it collapsed" and "That statement does not belong to me, it was a template."

So much importance was attributed to Soytekin's testimony that it was decided he would also be heard as a witness in the CHP's "absolute nullity" case. Upon this, I obtained the transcripts of Adem Soytekin's testimony in the IMM case from colleagues who followed the hearing and examined them.

First, I looked at his remarks regarding the CHP. There was no direct mention of the CHP Congress. He was describing how 70 apartments in a KİPTAŞ project were given under favorable conditions to "CHP municipal council members, certain CHP employees, and KİPTAŞ employees." He also claimed that money was collected from municipalities for the purchase of the CHP Istanbul Provincial building, but that receipts were taken as if he and some contractors had made donations.

I also examined whether the reports in the pro-government media were in the transcripts. In the transcripts, Soytekin denies the allegations that he gave his effective remorse statement under duress. What he describes as a "system" is the municipality's payment method to contractors:

"The system was as follows: The municipality gives us the job; it says, 'You will build a nursery, cultural center, or dormitory here.' It would direct us by saying, 'You will receive our progress payments arising from this in the form of apartments, shops, or checks from these people.' Whether you call it a bribe, donation, bargain, or social facility contribution fee between the municipality and the relevant person, that process would have already ended."

He then says, "I am not someone who establishes, manages, or mediates a bribery organization. I am a contractor who does the work and receives the payment for the work done." However, he also says that he gave a 500 thousand dollar bribe to Ali Kurt to receive his progress payments. When the presiding judge asked, "What was the money sent for?" Soytekin replied, "A bribe, Mr. President. He wanted it for himself." But when Ali Kurt's lawyer asked, he could not remember the year he gave the money; Ali Kurt also denies both the bribery allegation and the allegation of apartment quotas for CHP members.

He does not speak clearly about "Imamoğlu trying to prevent him from becoming a confessor and being offered a parliamentary candidacy." The prosecutor reads a section from his previous statement and asks, "Is this statement true?"; Soytekin speaks ambiguously, saying, "I don't know if it came from Mr. Ekrem, there were notes that were said to have come from Mr. Ekrem."

Let's come to the opposition media. Most of the news there was based on the sentence, "That statement does not belong to me." I also looked at this part in the transcripts. The prosecutor asks about the statement in his previous testimony that he would "explain what he knows about the structure and activities of the criminal organization for profit, the foundations of which were laid in Beylikdüzü and spread throughout Istanbul." Soytekin replies to this question, "That statement does not belong to me. I saw it as a template. Otherwise, how would I know in 2014 that Mr. Ekrem would be a candidate in Beylikdüzü? I mean, that would be a bit of a fantasy."

Undoubtedly, these words are also important. He explains that he has no information about the "organization structure," and he has not made an accusation against Imamoğlu; the organization claim is left with no basis. Apparently, this is the reason why Imamoğlu said "It collapsed, it collapsed" after the hearing.

To keep it short, the opposition media's failure to report the "I gave a 500 thousand dollar bribe" claim, and the pro-government media's failure to report the "That statement does not belong to me" section, has crippled the news. As journalists, our job is to reflect the testimony in the hearing accurately and without distorting its essence. We can comment as much as we want, but we are obligated to be loyal to the truth.

"Justifiable reasons" at Halk TV

When Seda Selek left Halk TV, she did not make a detailed statement, contenting herself with saying, "Know that I have extremely justifiable reasons."

That day, Sorel Dağıstanlı's support and solidarity with Seda Selek were remarkable. He shared a photo of them standing back-to-back, saying, "I stand by your justifiable reasons."

Now we learn that an on-screen embargo was imposed after that post. Sorel Dağıstanlı announced his reason for leaving by saying, "It would have been a waste of time for both sides to remain any longer in a place where the post I made within the scope of freedom of thought could not be tolerated."

Following this development, Seda Selek also said, "Since people are wondering," and made the statement, "The reason for my resignation is solely the management approach of Halk TV's boss, Cafer Mahiroğlu. It is the injustice and rudeness caused by this approach." She summarized what happened at the channel in two sentences.

Remziye Demirkol also supported her by saying, "The scale of values has shifted; for us, the issue was never money, it was devaluation. What the bosses do not understand is that a journalist can also be an opposition to the institution they work for, and that editorial independence is the nature of this profession."

Upon this, DİSK Press-Work stated, "Halk TV has become a structure that has turned into a 'workers' hell'." The Contemporary Journalists Association's statement also emphasized that "employees were paid wages at the hunger threshold, and their legal rights and freedom of expression were restricted." While the discussions were ongoing, Buket Güler also announced that she had left Halk TV.

Cafer Mahiroğlu, without addressing the criticisms of Seda Selek, Sorel Dağıstanlı, and Remziye Demirkol, responded to the reactions by saying, "Paid trolls disguised as opposition journalists are doing their jobs." Mahiroğlu argued that employees were paid as much as doctors and professors.

Problems such as wage imbalance and editorial interference at Halk TV had been reflected on social media for some time. There had also been reactions from unions on April 9 due to layoffs. I had also written about Cafer Mahiroğlu's interventions in the editorial process and the drawbacks of this.

However, Mahiroğlu's statement reveals that there is no effort to resolve the problems at the channel. Yet, Halk TV, one of the few media organizations remaining outside the control of the government, cannot engage in consistent, principled, and informative broadcasting without solving its internal problems. An institution that wants justice and freedom for everyone must first ensure justice and editorial independence within itself. We stand by the "justifiable reasons" of our colleagues.

Praising the missile is fine, but...

The star of the SAHA Expo 2026 Defense Fair news was the exhibition of "Yıldırımhan," described as "Turkey's first intercontinental hypersonic ballistic missile." As much as the features of the missile, the K. Atatürk signature and the tughra of Yıldırım Beyazıd on its tip were also remarkable.

From Akşam to Milliyet, from A Haber to Haber7, the pro-government media presented the news as if the construction of the missile was completely finished and it would enter the inventory immediately. But the reality was different.

Bloomberg wrote that "the missile's test could be conducted at the earliest at the end of the year," and Hürriyet wrote that the missile's tests were not yet completed, and "if it goes as planned, Yıldırımhan could enter the inventory within 8 to 10 years." Indeed, the Ministry of National Defense's statement that "laboratory tests have been completed, and field tests will begin in accordance with the planned schedule" also confirmed the news of Hürriyet and Bloomberg.

Praising the construction of a 6,000 km range missile and explaining its importance is fine, but showing a missile in the testing phase as if it were a finished product is not journalism, it is propaganda. It is incompatible with journalism.

Gaza Peace Council questions

To the news of "There is no yellow line left in Gaza" and "Israel is massacring Palestinian civilians," last week was added the news that Israel's genocidal Minister of National Security Ben Gvir cut a cake decorated with gallows, nooses, and weapons on his birthday.

Cansın Helvacı, who presents the morning news on A Haber, paused for a moment after reporting this news, then said, "There is an institution called RTÜK. Otherwise, one could say many things."

You would think RTÜK is constantly raining fines on A Haber, and it would never miss a word to be said to Ben Gvir! Of course, there is no situation preventing Cansın Helvacı from saying what is on her mind.

On the contrary, demagoguery and empty talk dominate the pro-government media regarding Gaza. However, the questions that really need to be asked and said are not being asked, and they are not being dwelled upon. You may remember that when a ceasefire was reached in Gaza last year, news such as "The road to Gaza is visible for the Turkish soldier" (ATV) and "Turkish soldiers will also take part in the planned task force" (Star) were published.

The participation of Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan in the ceremony held in Davos under the leadership of US President Trump for the establishment of a "Peace Council in Gaza" was also presented as a success. Months have passed; the peace plan has had no effect in practice; Israel continues to do as it pleases.

The pro-government media does not talk about sending troops to Palestine, nor about the ineffectiveness of the Peace Council. At the very least, they do not mention whether Turkey paid 1 billion dollars to participate in this council. Neither the authorities make a statement, nor does a journalist come out and ask the authorities.

What they call "backstage" was leaking

Telling a journalist that they are "writing on instruction," saying that they are writing articles in line with the wishes of those in power to satisfy them, is a grave insult. Cem Küçük said on TGRT Haber that Ahmet Hakan's article "Leave the pursuit of this absolute nullity" was "written on instruction":

"His articles on certain topics are in consultation with someone. Sometimes he writes something, it is clear that there was a consultation with Mr. Bilal on that matter."

Arguing that it might have been requested to keep "absolute nullity" on the agenda, Cem Küçük said, "They used to tell Abdülkadir Selvi, and he would write it. Nothing he said ever came true. Sometimes he writes 'The cabinet will change.' We discuss it too. It turns out that's how it was requested!"

I waited for Ahmet Hakan and Abdülkadir Selvi to respond to Cem Küçük's accusations and say, "No, we never write on instruction!" But there was no sound from either of them.

Since the parties involved did not deny it, Cem Küçük's words can be accepted as true. However, it is not possible to say that the journalists "used" by the power centers are limited to two people...

There are so many "backstage" news originating from the AKP that are written and said in a similar way but do not turn out to be true, so it means they are not journalistic activities or obtaining information, but deliberate leaking... And what they call "backstage" is never a critical analysis or information that could put the government in a difficult position.

In a single sentence:

•In Korkusuz's news "The entire sports team died in the crashed plane," there was no information that the plane crash was in the USA; it was signed "Fatih Polat / Korkusuz" like an exclusive news story.

•Hürriyet and Milliyet published the promotional text of AKP Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Altay as if it were news without adding a warning that it was an advertisement.

•Sabah published an advertisement announcing that the newspaper's health columnist Prof. Dr. Osman Müftüoğlu had started working at a private hospital.

•Belma Şahaner from Yeni Asır both reported and presented at the Saha Expo 2026 fair.

•In the news of the "Peace Mothers" visiting the MHP, the Kurdish word "bîrez" was translated into Turkish as "sayın" (esteemed) by ANKA and Nefes, and as "lider" (leader) by Sözcü; the correct translation was "sayın."

•Türkiye newspaper, in its news "Fired by Decree, became an official in CHP," was making one-sided, heavy accusations against a person whose full name it did not write.

•Fenerbahçe President Sadettin Saran pinched the cheek of a female journalist who asked a question before the Konyaspor match; there was no objection from the journalist to this inappropriate behavior.

•Karabük University Rector Prof. Dr. Murat Bulut visited the Akit Media Group.

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