Halk TV presenter Seda Selek's statement revealed! 'I have no knowledge'

Journalist Barış Pehlivan, Halk TV Managing Editor Serhan Asker, and program presenter Seda Selek were detained as part of an investigation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the broadcast of a phone call with an expert witness named by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. The journalists, whose statements were taken, were referred to the courthouse.

Journalist Seda Selek stated in her police testimony that she has been a journalist for 23 years and has been working at Halk TV for 4 years. Seda Selek was asked who sent the audio recording, which was shared during the Halk TV broadcast on January 27, 2025, the subject of the investigation order, to be aired live on the program.

Selek gave the following response:

"While I was on live air, I received information in my earpiece from the control room that there was a breaking development; other than that, I had no prior knowledge. As can be understood from my statement in the prepared transcript, where I said 'yes, they are saying there is an audio recording, Barış Pehlivan probably shared it, I don't know either,' it is clear that I was not aware of the audio recording played on air. I conduct a routine broadcast every weekday between 11:00 and 13:00. The fact that the audio recording in question was aired during the program I moderate is entirely a coincidental situation resulting from us going on air immediately after the IMM Mayor's press statement. This is another indication that I had no knowledge regarding the audio recording in question. Furthermore, the decision to report on the audio recording in question is not a matter I can personally decide on; the initiative in this regard belongs to the channel management."

"You have answered the questions asked above regarding the audio recording shared on the program in question. Is there anything else you would like to add to your statement? If so, what are they?" to which journalist Selek replied, "I absolutely did not commit the crime I am accused of. I had no involvement in the acquisition, delivery to the broadcast, or the decision to air the audio recording in question. I request to be released."