İsmail Saymaz speaks on the investigation opened against him: 'No investigation is opened into MHP deputies accused of gold smuggling'

Journalist İsmail Saymaz made statements regarding the "publicly spreading misleading information" charge launched against him by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. Connecting to İsmail Küçükkaya's program on Halk TV, Saymaz stated that the allegations do not reflect the truth and that the investigation was opened because of a statement he did not make.

'MY WORDS WERE DISTORTED'

Regarding the process following the reports on allegations that MHP deputies smuggled gold, Saymaz stated the following:

"I said, 'Some photos were shown to Bahçeli.' However, our colleagues wrote this in the subtitle as 'Footage was shown to Bahçeli.' In reality, I have no such statement. The prosecutor's office launched an investigation against us by combining this incorrect subtitle and my screenshot with Fatih Altaylı's article. This situation is tragicomic."

Saymaz also criticized the Presidency's Directorate of Communications Center for Combating Disinformation, saying, "The Disinformation Department is becoming a tool for disinformation."

I had said that three deputies whose resignations were requested by the MHP were given such an instruction because they were involved in illegal gold smuggling.

In other words, Turkey learned from me, from the Rota program on Halk TV, that the resignations of three MHP deputies were requested because they were associated with illegal gold smuggling by their party.

In that broadcast, I conveyed some information that came to me from the MHP, from MHP sources. One of them was this: The allegation that during the meeting between Devlet Bahçeli and Erdoğan, the President gave a file in this direction to the MHP leader.

That is one. The second is that, separately from the Bahçeli and Erdoğan meeting, I claimed that some photos in this direction were shown to Bahçeli within the MHP.

I conveyed these as information coming from my MHP sources, although I could not verify them.

"THEY WROTE MY STATEMENT AS 'FOOTAGE WAS SHOWN', I HAVE NO SUCH STATEMENT"

Our colleagues understood my statement, "Some photos were shown to Bahçeli," as "Footage was shown to Bahçeli," and wrote that in the subtitle.

In reality, I actually have no such statement. There is only a subtitle, and therefore they took that screenshot of me, that is, the screenshot where I am also present, and combined it with Fatih Altaylı's article in this direction and launched an investigation against us.

"MHP WENT TO DISINFORMATION"

Actually, I called the Disinformation Department last night. I said, "Look, I don't have such a direct statement. Actually, I am the one being subjected to disinformation here." But I said that action had been taken against me. I had actually conveyed this to them as well. As far as I understand, the MHP first went to the Disinformation Department.

"EVEN IF IT WERE SO"

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office took this tweet into account and officially launched an investigation. There are a few points here.

First, I do not have such a direct statement. That is what is tragic. Second, even if it were so, it could have been. Currently, according to the statement made by the Ministry of Justice, by Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç, there is no investigation into the deputies whose resignations from their parties were requested due to the gold smuggling allegation.

How can it be interpreted that an investigation is opened against two journalists when no investigation has even been opened against the deputies themselves regarding the allegation in the public eye that they smuggled gold into Turkey?

"THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE CANNOT OPEN AN INVESTIGATION INTO DEPUTIES ACCUSED OF GOLD SMUGGLING"

If there is someone against whom an investigation should be opened, it is the deputies accused of gold smuggling. Think about it, three deputies, the MHP's Bolu, Isparta, and Kilis deputies, are accused of smuggling gold into Turkey.

They are accused of smuggling gold into Turkey by using their parliamentary immunity. The prosecutor's office, the MHP is requesting their resignation for this reason. The prosecutor's office cannot open an investigation into this, they come and open an investigation into us. Is this something that can happen in a state of law?

What exactly is spreading misleading information to the public? I said that these people were suspended due to illegal gold smuggling. I gave the correct information.

"AN INVESTIGATION IS LAUNCHED DUE TO HIGH-ACCURACY BACKSTAGE NEWS"

In the Justice Minister's statement yesterday, it was actually admitted that, "There is no investigation regarding these deputies." Otherwise, where did Bahçeli learn this? Otherwise, such an investigation, where did he learn this? One of the sources of learning is probably the President. And for the first time, an investigation is launched into a piece of backstage news, and high-accuracy backstage news at that, because of a sentence I did not say.

And they are doing this by relying on the disinformation directed at me by the Disinformation Department. I don't know who to be angry at. The Disinformation Department is becoming a tool for disinformation, and the prosecutor takes this as a basis without checking "Did this man say it or not?" and opens an investigation.

And the deputies accused of gold smuggling are not asked, "Brother, did you bring it?"

I am saying, okay, I didn't say such a thing. Yes, okay. I am saying that he denies this, absolutely.

"I DID NOT SAY SUCH A THING"

Okay, I am already saying that I did not say such a thing. I said this: During the meeting between the President and Erdoğan, I said that Erdoğan gave a file in this direction to Mr. Bahçeli. Separately from this meeting, I claimed that some photos regarding the three deputies were shown to Bahçeli.

But I did not say, "Erdoğan showed them." However, our colleagues perceived this as "Footage was shown to Bahçeli," interpreted it that way, and wrote the subtitle.

There is a subtitle, but I am saying I did not say such a thing. The Disinformation Department tweeted about me because of a sentence I did not say.

The prosecutor's office took the tweet as a basis and opened an investigation. Even if I had said it, İsmail, I might have said it. Let's say I did. Hey brother, aren't the deputies the ones who should have an investigation opened against them in this country before me?

"IS SMUGGLING GOLD A MORE INNOCENT ACT?"

Is bringing gold into Turkey, smuggling gold, a more innocent act than writing backstage news on this matter?

No lawsuit is filed, no investigation is opened for bringing in smuggled gold. At the crack of dawn, they don't eat or drink, they open an investigation into us. So, this is my objection.

"I WISH THE PROSECUTOR WOULD ASK ABOUT THE GOLD SMUGGLING"

But I wish, I wish a prosecutor would come out and ask the three deputies who are said to have brought gold into Turkey through illegal means, who are alleged to have done so, and whose resignations from their parties were requested for this reason, "Did you bring these gold pieces or not? If you brought them, are there any other deputies besides you?" They won't ask, we will continue to ask that again.

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

Following the allegation that "President Erdoğan showed Bahçeli some footage regarding MHP deputies," which was written by Fatih Altaylı in his article titled "Those who are not afraid of the rubble are not afraid of prison" on November 21 and claimed by İsmail Saymaz in the program named "Rota" broadcast on Halk TV on the same day, and which was denied by the statement made by the Presidency's Directorate of Communications Center for Combating Disinformation, an ex officio investigation was launched against journalists İsmail Saymaz and Fatih Altaylı for the crime of "publicly spreading misleading information."