12punto brought it to the agenda, it became a topic in Parliament: Opposition asks Vice President Yılmaz about 'insulting the President' lawsuits

The 'insulting the President' lawsuits became a topic of discussion during the budget negotiations in the TBMM. CHP's Utku Çakırözer, who asked Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, who attended the Presidential budget negotiations at the Planning and Budget Committee, about the situation of imprisoned journalists Fatih Altaylı and Furkan Karabay, brought up the defense used by the Presidency's lawyers in cases of insulting the President. Çakırözer asked, "The President's lawyers say in their defense, 'we do not initiate the lawsuits, the prosecutor's office investigates them ex officio'! If that is the case, then why are you not stopping them, Mr. Yılmaz? Why do these lawsuits exist? Why have people in this country become afraid to express their thoughts?" Çakırözer also called on Yılmaz to have the Ekrem İmamoğlu trials broadcast live on TRT.

"ALTAYLI AND KARABAY DID NOT PICK UP A STONE OR A WEAPON"

CHP Eskişehir Deputy Utku Çakırözer asked Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, who attended the Presidential budget negotiations in the TBMM, about the lawsuits for insulting the President. Stating, "There is no other President in the world who puts his own people on trial like this," Çakırözer drew attention to the situation of journalists Fatih Altaylı and Furkan Karabay, who were arrested for 'actual threat and insult to the President'.

Stating that investigations for insulting the President have reached the hundreds of thousands, Çakırözer said:

"Some even say 'millions'! Fatih Altaylı was sentenced to four years and two months in prison last week for allegedly committing an actual attack on the President. You would think he picked up a stone or a weapon, but he only gave examples from history in a YouTube broadcast. He said in court: 'This lawsuit is an injustice not only to me but also to the President.' Are these words wrong, Mr. Yılmaz? Today, a young journalist, Furkan Karabay, is facing the same accusation before a judge, and he has been in the dungeon for five months. Every day, investigations and prosecutions are opened against dozens, perhaps hundreds of our citizens. So, who is doing this?"

"WHY DO LAWSUITS FOR INSULTING THE PRESIDENT EXIST?"

Bringing up the defense of one of the President's lawyers in these cases, "We do not initiate the lawsuits, the prosecutor's office investigates them ex officio," during the negotiations, Çakırözer said, "Journalist Müyesser Yıldız did a very important piece of reporting. She reported on the defense of one of the President's lawyers on this issue. The lawyers say: 'We do not initiate the lawsuits, the prosecutor's office investigates them ex officio. We only join the file when we are notified; there is no need for a perception that we are chasing after citizens and attacking them.' If that is the case, then why are you not stopping them, Mr. Yılmaz? Why do these lawsuits exist? Why have people in this country become afraid to express their thoughts? I would like to ask you: How many of our citizens have been investigated, and how many have been prosecuted or sued since the day Mr. Erdoğan became President? The fact that you cannot even disclose these figures is proof of what a great scandal we are facing."

"HE WILL COME TO THE NATION'S PARLIAMENT AND BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE!"

Criticizing the fact that the Communications Director, whose budget is being discussed, did not come to Parliament, Çakırözer said, "Why are they not here? They don't come to the budget, they don't come to other committees either! If the person sitting in the seat of the Communications Director is using the nation's taxes to spread false propaganda to the nation, and is making statements targeting the leader of Turkey's leading party, he will come here and be held accountable. Look, while millions in the country are struggling with hunger and poverty, money is being spent like water just so the Communications Directorate can tweet; at least 450-500 million liras of budget are spent per month."

CALL TO YILMAZ: "IF YOU HAVE ANY MORALITY LEFT, BROADCAST THE TRIALS LIVE ON TRT"

Bringing up the TRT broadcasts during the detention and imprisonment processes of the imprisoned Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and the Presidential Candidate of 15.5 million, Ekrem İmamoğlu, Çakırözer said, "This TRT, which is financed by the public in every way, became the media arm of the March 19 civil coup."

Calling for the İmamoğlu trials to be broadcast live on TRT, Çakırözer said:

"It carried out a trial by media regarding the imprisonment of our Presidential candidate, Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu, both during the detention process before his imprisonment and during the imprisonment process. Even before the indictment was out, the guests on the program passed judgment with their rhetoric! We say it once again from here: If there is any shred of shame or morality left in this TRT, then these trials should be broadcast live on TRT. We are waiting for you to share your thoughts with us here on this issue, that is, on the matter of broadcasting these trials live."

"THE PRESIDENCY IS TURKEY'S LARGEST MEDIA BOSS"

While the transfer of media organizations in Turkey to the management of the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) was also brought up during the negotiations, CHP's Çakırözer said, "The point that 23 years of AKP rule has brought the country to is that the TMSF, or rather the Presidency, has now become Turkey's largest media boss."

Listing the media organizations that have been incorporated into the TMSF, Çakırözer said, "EKOTÜRK, Flash Haber, Habertürk in the Ciner Group, Show TV, many channels are channels that were seized due to allegations of money laundering. These channels were first forced to be sold by the people under investigation, and then they were nationalized. For example, shouldn't we ask while you are here? When the boss of Can Holding said, 'The people at the top of the state made me buy these,' who should we understand? Should we understand the President, or should we understand you? Who are these people at the top? If you made them buy it, why did you seize it now? A trustee was appointed to TELE 1 with a fabricated espionage charge even before Merdan Yanardağ appeared before a judge. Where is freedom of the press? Where is the public's right to receive information? Through the TMSF, you are both destroying media organizations, leaving media workers unemployed, and destroying the public's right to receive information. Your goal is for what is happening in the country not to be known, but we will continue to be in full solidarity with media organizations and media professional organizations that fight for the public's right to receive information."

"BİK IS FINISHING OFF THE ANATOLIAN PRESS"

Stating that the Press Advertisement Agency (BİK), whose budget is being discussed, is forcing the Anatolian press to merge, Çakırözer said that BİK is finishing off the Anatolian press with wrong practices. Çakırözer said:

"BİK's 2024 activity report says: '103 local newspapers waived their right to advertisements.' Such a thing cannot happen! No one waives their right to advertisements that are already there. The truth of the matter is that newspapers are being forced to merge in Anatolia under the instruction of the BİK management. Furthermore, this Press Advertisement Agency, which never made a loss in the past, has been making losses for years in a row! Its revenues are increasing by 90 percent, but it is still making a loss. Unfortunately, the aid given to journalism professional organizations has been reduced to nothing due to this wastefulness. Since the Court of Accounts is not allowed inside, we cannot see the audit reports of the Press Advertisement Agency. Is there an internal audit report regarding corruption in the 3.5 million dollar hardware and software support service tender? If there is, why is no action being taken against those responsible for this?"

News Source: 12punto