CHP reacts to RTÜK President Şahin's 'street interview' warning: Is this what you exist for?

CHP's Bulut stated, "This mentality, which fears criticism and avoids hearing the truth, is an indicator of authoritarianism, not democracy.

Does RTÜK exist so that no one in this country can say 'we cannot make ends meet,' 'we are unemployed,' or 'we cannot find housing'? This statement is a clear attempt at censorship aimed at targeting freedom of expression and silencing the voice of the people.

Even if you silence the microphone, the street will speak," he said.

CHP Deputy Chairman Burhanettin Bulut reacted to the words of RTÜK President Ebubekir Şahin, who claimed that street interviews are used to create a perception that "everything is going badly" through deliberate efforts to manipulate, stating: "As RTÜK, we will never allow such broadcasts, which we have clearly warned about before, to create hopelessness and division in society.

We emphasize once again that content that deliberately manipulates public opinion and drags the public into pessimism will not be tolerated, and we importantly remind you that we will use all legal powers to the fullest extent regarding similar broadcasts."

Sharing on his social media account, CHP's Bulut used the following expressions:

"Administrative fines and blacking out TV screens were not enough for RTÜK, now it is the turn of street interviews. 'Pessimism is being spread through street interviews!' If a citizen speaking on the street says 'everything is going badly,' this is not a perception operation, but an expression of the painful picture created by the government.

If the pot is not boiling in the kitchen, if people cannot make ends meet, if unemployment and poverty are increasing; what the citizen says is not propaganda, but the reality they are living.

Your duty is not to suppress the voice of the people; it is to guarantee that the media can broadcast freely. RTÜK, which should be independent, has today turned into a propaganda apparatus acting in the shadow of the Palace. This mentality, which fears criticism and avoids hearing the truth, is an indicator of authoritarianism, not democracy. Does RTÜK exist so that no one in this country can say 'we cannot make ends meet,' 'we are unemployed,' or 'we cannot find housing'? This statement is a clear attempt at censorship aimed at targeting freedom of expression and silencing the voice of the people. Even if you silence the microphone, the street will speak."