Journalist Ağırel's statement on the Ahbap investigation: Slanders may change, facts do not
As the Ahbap investigation continues, striking allegations regarding new names continue to emerge. Journalist Murat Ağırel also claimed on his social media account that a campaign of lies and slander is being waged against him and his colleagues, and made statements regarding these issues.
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Ağırel used his social media account to state that "it is now necessary to clarify certain matters" and made striking remarks.
Here are the statements made by Journalist Murat Ağırel:
It is now necessary to clarify certain matters.
Since the day the AHBAP investigation began, a systematic campaign of lies and slander has been waged against me and my colleagues.
They say, “You called for donations to AHBAP, you directed people.”
We could have. But we did not.
We have not made a single call for donations to AHBAP, neither on our social media accounts nor in any of our broadcasts. The only institution we have ever called for support and collected donations for is the ÇYDD (Association for Supporting Contemporary Life).
They say, “You worked with Oğuzhan Uğur after leaving Halk TV.”
No.
We could have worked together, and we would have been happy to do so. However, we did not. Before opening the YouTube channel, we went to his studio, looked at the space together, and took a photo. That is all there is to it.
They say, “The Red Crescent did not sell tents, you made this news to pave the way for AHBAP.”
This claim is also contrary to the truth.
During the most critical days of the earthquake, while citizens were waiting in the cold and rain, and while AFAD was requesting tents, the Red Crescent sold tents. This situation was also confirmed by the General Manager of the Red Crescent. The President also criticized this practice in his statement, saying, “It was wrong for the Red Crescent to sell tents at the moment of a disaster.”
Trying to portray a verified news story as an “operation” years later only serves perception management.
Another claim is that Timur and I are constantly whitewashing people and are supported by FETÖ-linked accounts.
The ironic part is this: The accounts pointed to by those who say this were accusing us of being “AKP supporters” just a few weeks ago and were targeting us in an organized manner.
Being declared both a FETÖ member and an AKP supporter is only possible in the black propaganda order in Turkey.
Those of us who were tried in a FETÖ conspiracy are supposedly being supported by those who orchestrated the conspiracy, right? :)
Our job is clear.
We speak with documents, we report the news, we write the truth. We do not look at who it benefits or who it does not.
Slanders may change, facts do not.