Questions for Press Council President Pınar Türenç and esteemed members... The member who 'saved' the Republic at the Press Council is now in the Republic's management

I have been meaning to write about this for days, but I cannot bring myself to do it... Because I am sad, hurt, and have lost all hope for justice.

In my country, an innocent little girl, Narin, was murdered....

Young lieutenants who said "We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal" were targeted...

The public is resigned to hunger, poverty, and a life that gets worse every day in deep silence...

'High-energy crime figures' were released in convoys... And millions of people continue to follow these individuals and defend them... What a pathetic state....

While all this was happening, I did not want to scribble down something that would be understood as a 'personal reaction'...

Can there be individuality in the demand for justice and the desire to fight against decay? I don't think so, but one still acts a bit embarrassed...

However, I will recount these developments, at least to record them in my own history.

Let me get to the point without further ado.

An incident occurred last year that was watched with care and sadness, especially by Cumhuriyet readers...

Manipulative news was published in Cumhuriyet Newspaper in line with the interests of the Chinese-capital e-commerce site Trendyol.

The news was against the e-Commerce law published in July 2022.

The will of the Turkish Grand National Assembly was intended to be influenced by news published in many media outlets, including Cumhuriyet Newspaper.

Behind the scenes of this was the incident where people assigned by the firm had previously come to Uğur Mumcu's newspaper with money placed in Pelit brand chocolate boxes.

That moment, which went down as a black mark in the newspaper's history, had taken place in the Editor-in-Chief's office, and the boxes had been delivered to the person in the EIC position.

When the incident came to light, it had the effect of a bomb. Disappointment, sadness, and shame were all experienced at once.

Since the issue was about press ethics, was serious, and concerned the future of Cumhuriyet Newspaper, action was taken immediately to produce a solution.

A fight broke out between those who defended this situation as something normal and those who defended the newspaper's independent line and ethical values. The incident was taken to the judiciary.

The person who took the events to the judiciary was none other than Cumhuriyet Foundation Board Member Attorney Turan Karakaş.

The other members of the Cumhuriyet Foundation, members of the Cumhuriyet Newspaper Editorial Board, and columnists... They were all informed one by one...

Some perceived the event with all its reality and agreed with those who reacted to the unethical incident. But they chose to remain silent.

Others, despite knowing everything down to the finest detail and witnessing the moments of confession word for word, chose to act in accordance with their interests through petty games. But they went on the offensive to justify their choices.

Not bravely, of course. By gossiping, by manufacturing lies... Some asked softball questions to Alev Coşkun to appear as if they were not indifferent at the editorial board meeting, some quietly left the meeting.

Just like the AKP, they started talking about external powers and weathercocks spinning in windless air... Yet, the spinning weathercocks were exactly themselves.

They became so small that they even targeted foundation board member Turan Karakaş, who followed countless Cumhuriyet cases while struggling with health problems.

With my journalist identity, I applied to the Press Council, thinking that there might still be law, rules, and order.

I conveyed the situation, how the bribery was revealed, who confessed, the methods by which everyone involved was informed, the people who brought the boxes, how they came, how the phones were turned off in the newspaper building, and countless other details.

The members of the Press Council High Board listened carefully. They must have agreed with me, as they decided to issue a reprimand.

After a while, I learned that some members of the Press Council had conveyed the information that a reprimand decision had been taken to Cumhuriyet Foundation President Alev Coşkun.

In other words, before the reprimand decision against the complained party was published on the Press Council's website, the complained party and the Cumhuriyet Foundation President had been informed. To put it more accurately, the decision had been leaked.

The foundation president, who prides himself on being a strategy genius, naturally took action immediately.

I, on the other hand, started waiting with hope.

For some reason, the decision was not being published.

Then, as luck would have it, a ground was prepared for the board's decision to be reconsidered for various reasons.

The voters changed.

Press Council Second President, lawyer Başar Yaltı, took on the role of defense attorney for the person complained about. He asked questions like a judge in the Zoom meeting. But not to the person complained about, but to me personally... I will not forget the panic on his face.

Another member, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Önok, was also very diligent in favor of the person complained about.

As a result, my complaint was reconsidered, and the reprimand decision was changed.

Meanwhile, an incredible event took place.

Professor İlter Turan, who attended the first meeting shirtless and in shorts from the holiday resort where he was staying, forgot his Zoom on during the second meeting and called the Cumhuriyet Foundation President.

Yes, you read that right... I learned that he called Alev Coşkun during the meeting.

The other members attending the meeting, of course, witnessed these moments of shame in all their clarity.

İlter Turan provided information to Coşkun regarding what happened during the Press Council deliberations. Those who witnessed the scandal reacted by shouting "Zoom is on, it's on."

I shared this issue on my X account with a social media post several times. However, it did not pose a problem for Mr. İlter at all.

Influencing the decisions of the Press Council, setting up conspiracies, and committing injustice clearly meant nothing to him.

So what happened next?

That day, the decision was changed through the extraordinary efforts of Başar Yaltı, who held an effective position as second president at the Press Council, and those who supported him.

As the new decision was published on the Press Council's website, truth appeared to have been defeated.

But what was defeated was not the truth, but the understanding of morality that was spent like small change for the sake of interests.

Nearly a year has passed?

And.... On September 3, 2024, the Cumhuriyet Foundation Board of Directors was re-elected.

Başar Yaltı, who continues his duty as second president at the Press Council, was appointed as a member of the Cumhuriyet Foundation Board of Directors.

Let me convey the gravity of the situation so that people of all levels of intelligence can understand...

Turan Karakaş, who fought tooth and nail while struggling with health problems to protect the honor of the newspaper and journalism, and who went to the judiciary by arguing that it is unacceptable to publish news in exchange for manipulative news, is gone..

Başar Yaltı, the Press Council Second President who acted as the lawyer for those who took money in a chocolate box, changed the Press Council's decision, influenced the course of the judicial process, ensured the overturning of the reprimand decision, and veiled the truth despite all visible reality and the confessions that spilled out, has been brought to foundation membership.

Before I finish my long and boring article, I want to ask some questions... Questions directed, of course, to the Press Council President and her esteemed members...

• Dear Press Council President Ms. Pınar Türenç and esteemed members! Do you think it is appropriate for Başar Yaltı to continue his duty?
• The decision changed as a result of Başar Yaltı's efforts may have covered up the truth, but will the Press Council be able to continue its existence as a reliable structure from now on? How fair will Başar Yaltı be in the future process, who caused unfair developments to arise even when he was not a Cumhuriyet Foundation Member? Is his taking decisions based on interests or his effort to encourage others to do so not a cause for concern for the Press Council?
• What has been the approach regarding İlter Turan, who was a Press Council member and participated in the voting, and who forgot his Zoom on and called the Cumhuriyet Foundation President in front of everyone's eyes to provide information? Is the unethical act displayed normal? Will there be no sanctions?

My final word is to you, Mr. Başar... This team will need you very much. And I congratulate you.... But know that no matter what you and those like you do, the truth is the truth...

It will not change...

NOTE:

For those who are curious, I will leave the changed BKYK decision below...

https://www.basinkonseyi.org.tr/bkyk-karari-2023-27/