Photo crisis at the MIT! Barış Terkoğlu: 'Put those responsible for this on trial too'

President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the 97th Anniversary Events of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), accompanied by ministers and Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş.

During Erdoğan's speech at the event, photographs taken in the hall were shared on his social media account.

While the photos showed the faces of participants, who were likely high-ranking MIT personnel, the post was edited after a while and these photos were removed.

JOURNALISTS HAD BEEN ARRESTED!

Due to a report they published regarding the funeral of an MIT member who lost his life in Libya on March 5, 2020, Barış Terkoğlu, who was serving as the Odatv News Manager at the time, and journalist Hülya Kılınç were arrested; a decision was made to block access to the OdaTV website.

Barış Pehlivan, who was the editor-in-chief of OdaTV at the time, was also arrested on March 6 for the same reason.

"THE LAW EXISTS EXACTLY FOR THIS"

Journalist Barış Terkoğlu made a post on social media regarding the photo that was shared and then removed by the MIT.

Terkoğlu stated the following:

"The President spoke yesterday at the MIT's anniversary.

Photos of many active-duty MIT personnel were clearly shared from both the Presidential account and the Ministry of Justice account.

After the reactions, the photos were deleted.

However, the exposure has already happened...

Four years ago, a group of journalists, including myself, were arrested and tried because of a news report about the funeral of an MIT member who had been martyred.

In that case, the personnel who were the subject of the accusation had already lost their lives. In other words, there was no security issue. The 'exposure' was just an excuse. Here, however, active-duty personnel were exposed. So, if the law is really to be applied, it exists exactly for this.

Since the law is for everyone, then put those responsible for this in the Presidency and the Ministry of Justice on trial too. Or do not spout rhetoric about values you do not believe in, like 'homeland and nation.'

Well, we know it won't happen, of course. Because in Turkey, the judiciary is held by those who want to be the sword of the oppressor and the stick of the tyrant.

But unmasking the hypocrites is our job too!"

WHAT IS THE MIT LAW?

With the amendment made on April 17, 2014, the penalty stipulated according to Law No. 6532 on State Intelligence Services and the National Intelligence Organization is as follows:

"A person who unauthorizedly obtains, procures, steals, produces fake copies of, forges, or destroys information and documents regarding the duties and activities of the National Intelligence Organization shall be sentenced to imprisonment from four to ten years."