First statement from Mesut Süre, who has come to the fore with harassment allegations: 'I am in shock'

Comedian Mesut Süre has come to the fore with harassment allegations made against him. The controversy, which began after a woman's post on social media, grew quickly as many others came forward with similar claims. Following the backlash, the "İlişki Testi" (Relationship Test) program hosted by Süre was removed from the air by its producers.

ALLEGATIONS BEGAN ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Initially, a woman claimed that Mesut Süre, whom she met for an internship program, invited her to his home under the pretext of having dinner and harassed her there. Following this post, similar allegations came from other women as well.

PROGRAM CANCELED

After the revelations surfaced, the producer of the "İlişki Testi" program, which has been on screens for years, announced that they had parted ways with the famous comedian.

FIRST STATEMENT FROM MESUT SÜRE

Following the accusations that dominated the agenda, Süre made a statement via his social media account. The comedian denied the allegations, claiming that the incident was completely untrue.

“I AM IN SHOCK”

Mesut Süre used the following expressions in his post:

“I am still in shock over the situation I have been experiencing since last night. First of all, I must state that all the accusations leveled against me are untrue. Thanks to social media courts, I was suddenly subjected to a lynching. My family, my friends, and the people who have been watching and listening to me for years know how sensitive I am about such matters. This is not a revelation, but an assassination of character. I will pursue all legal avenues against these unfair attacks on my personality, my profession, and my reputation.”

WHAT HAPPENED?

A series of harassment allegations against comedian Mesut Süre surfaced on social media. Tuluğ Özlü, host of the podcast program 'Umarım Annem Dinlemez' (I Hope My Mom Doesn't Listen), made the harassment accusations against Süre public by publishing the messages he received.

Tuluğ Özlü shared a message sent to him, detailing a harassment claim by a person who was invited to Süre's home years ago. The message stated, "I used all my strength to resist, I left the house immediately and never met him again." Özlü also reported that another person who met with Mesut Süre for an internship program had experienced a similar incident.

In his post, Özlü used the following expressions:

"When I was at university, we were publishing a magazine. We wanted to interview 'lesser-known' comedians about alternative comedy for this magazine. Through this, we met Mesut Süre, who was working in radio broadcasting and performing in small clubs at the time. After a while, Mesut Süre contacted me to discuss an internship program. We had this meeting at a tea garden in Beşiktaş. Later, he said he was hungry and suggested, 'Let's eat.' I accepted. He said, 'Let's not spend money outside, there is very good food at home, let's eat at our place.' I accepted again. (These were times when Turkey was not yet this terrifying, I didn't see any harm in it. Even having to make this explanation hurts me.) We went to Mesut Süre's house in Beşiktaş and had our meal.

When it was time to leave, he grabbed my arm and pushed me onto the sofa. He got on top of me. He tried to kiss me. By the way, I am 1.60 meters tall. As far as I know, Mesut Süre is over 2 meters tall. I was able to get out from under him with difficulty. I used all my strength to resist. I left the house immediately and never met him again.

He is very well-liked. He is known as a gentleman comedian who does not engage in sexism. Also, I was at the person's house. Probably, it will be said that I am either slandering or that I was 'asking for it.' There is no situation I can prove. I also searched for the old messages where the person invited me, but since about 13 years have passed since the incident, there are no messages. The only thing I can show is the article in the magazine. And the only detail I can give is that the meal we ate was spinach. I cannot forget that meal."

'İLİŞKİ TESTİ' PARTS WAYS WITH SÜRE

Following the rapid spread of the allegations on social media, a statement came from İda İletişim, the producer of the 'İlişki Testi' program, and the production company announced that they had definitively parted ways with Süre.

İda İletişim stated, "As the creative production team of the 'İlişki Testi' program, we declare that we will no longer work with Mesut Süre. We stand with all the victims. We are in shock. We are ashamed. We will dedicate our page to making your voices heard. We promise to announce what you have experienced through the 'İlişki Testi' account."