Striking claim from Fatih Altaylı regarding İmamoğlu: 'Some journalists who appear to be opposition…'

Journalist Fatih Altaylı has released a new video on his YouTube channel titled “Is Ekrem İmamoğlu a victim or is he arrogant?”

Commenting on the agenda, Altaylı made a striking claim.

Suggesting that some journalists have been specifically tasked with ensuring Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu is not portrayed as a victim, Altaylı alleged that certain journalists who appear to be in the opposition are being paid from public funds and tasked with undermining opposition candidates.

Fatih Altaylı used the following expressions in the relevant part of the program:

“I honestly don't know what Ahmet Hakan based his question on, but there is one thing I know; I actually thought a lot about whether to say this or not. Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about Ahmet Hakan. Ahmet Hakan's role in this matter was already announced in the past by Mr. Erdoğan; in a television program he did with President Erdoğan, he said, ‘Mr. Ahmet, you will do what is necessary now,’ look, what was the other guy's name? ‘Abdülkadir Selvi is doing what is necessary, you will do it now too,’ and so on. However, I have been hearing these things in recent days; and when I say hearing, I don't mean it in the sense of gossip, what should I say, from very solid sources, I have heard from very reliable sources that money is being transferred to certain journalists—who might appear to be opposition, but are not exactly opposition—from the Turkey Promotion Fund, I think, and one or two other public sources, and that they have been tasked with undermining opposition candidates or making certain suggestions that would put opposition candidates in a difficult position during the election period. I'll say this as well.”