Scathing lines from Merdan Yanardağ: This setup isn't even 3rd-rate

As part of an investigation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on charges of 'espionage,' Presidential Candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu, Necati Özkan, and TELE 1 Editor-in-Chief Merdan Yanardağ were arrested.

During the hours Yanardağ was in custody, a trustee was appointed to Tele 1 by court order.

YANARDAĞ: THIS SETUP IS A 5TH-RATE SETUP

TELE 1 Editor-in-Chief and journalist Merdan Yanardağ issued a statement thanking those who supported them.

Yanardağ wrote the following on his X account:

"The government has launched an espionage investigation this time to silence me and Tele1 with a new but irrational setup. If there are any labels that would not suit us, espionage and betraying one's own people are at the top of the list. Patriotism, just like being a revolutionary, has been etched into our identity since our early youth.

This setup is not even 3rd-rate; it is a 5th-rate setup. They wanted to silence Tele1 and me with lies and slander. They may seize Tele1 through trickery and force, but if they think I will remain silent and bow down, they are very much mistaken. Tele1 was both illuminating Turkey's path and providing direction to the media and society. Instead of being a part of an ongoing game, it was a game-changer in the media, political, and intellectual environment. That is why they wanted to silence it.

They claimed we incited the public to hatred and hostility, alleged terrorist propaganda, and shamelessly asserted that we insulted religious feelings. They threatened us, fined the channel, and blacked out the screen multiple times, but it didn't work. Tele1 continued on its path. It continued to be a game-changer. This was the reason it shone like a star in the current media environment; with the devoted work of all our colleagues, its journalistic and intellectual accumulation, it became a media organization with a clear route, a clear stance, and one that does not bend or break. First and foremost, I would like to thank my colleagues, Tele1 viewers, and the intellectuals, artists, politicians, and our valuable people who supported us during this process.

We will continue on our path. Do not forget to support us. Because we will break this dark blockade together.

Throughout our lives, we have fought against imperialism and Zionism, and we will continue to fight from now on."