Hilal Kaplan joins the infighting in pro-AKP media! She responds to Hande Fırat...
Hilal Kaplan has joined the debate in the pro-government media, which was initiated by Hande Fırat and Ahmet Hakan, and in which Cem Küçük also attacked Hande Fırat, Hürriyet, and CNN Türk with harsh words.
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The debate initiated by Hürriyet columnist Hande Fırat, who is close to the government, with her remarks that AKP politicians “do not appear on television channels or are not invited,” is growing. Following Cem Küçük, who is known for his proximity to the government, Sabah newspaper columnist Hilal Kaplan has now also joined the polemic.
Kaplan responded to Fırat’s article titled “Now it is time to prick with the needle,” which caused a stir in public opinion, with an article titled “Let us prick with the needle.”
On the other hand, Cem Küçük had attacked Hande Fırat with harsh expressions in his column in the Türkiye newspaper. In his article, Küçük used the words, “Hande Fırat has tried to give everyone a lesson in journalism! I claim that she did not write those two articles herself. She does not have the capacity for that anyway. How can someone who does not know a language give examples from the USA?”
Here is Hilal Kaplan’s article:
“If you are a commentator who openly supports the AK Party in this country, with a few exceptions, AK Party members see you as the ‘village calf,’ and the opposition sees you as a ‘punching bag’ on which to vent their anger. However, if you are a journalist from the secular segment who is ‘close to everyone,’ for example, almost the entire Council of Ministers can visit your exhibition in turn. Or they can support you on social media during your difficult days, be a witness at your wedding, pray at your funeral, or be a facilitator for many of your troubles.
On the other hand, it is impossible not to wonder whether AK Party politicians felt the need to prick themselves with the needle following these recent debates. There is a significant segment that refrains from even making social media posts, let alone appearing on television regarding most critical issues. In fact, the reason why political commentators have flourished so much is this void.
In short, if the needle is to be pricked, let it be pricked where it will truly hurt. Presenting the politics-media order in the West as a sterile showcase and judging power relations in Turkey through this showcase is an act of laziness.
The real issue is who speaks by paying what price, and who can easily open every door within the comfort of ‘neutrality.’
If we are going to discuss the media-politics relationship, we must start not from the clarity of ideological positions, but from who is untouchable and who is expendable in this country. Otherwise, every self-criticism made will go no further than putting makeup on the truth instead of digging it up.”