Fatih Portakal gives a sharp response to allegations against journalists

Pro-government media outlet Akşam newspaper's claims that some journalists received money from the municipality as part of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) investigation have been met with a sharp response from the journalists in question.

Well-known journalists Ruşen Çakır, Barış Pehlivan, Yavuz Oğhan, Nevşin Mengü, and Bahar Feyzan stated that these allegations are baseless and rejected accusations that they were financed by Emrah Bağdatlı, an assistant to Medya A.Ş. Board Chairman Murat Ongun.

SÖZCÜ TV Main News anchor Fatih Portakal expressed his reaction to these claims in a statement, using the phrase "gossip indictment." Portakal said, "I know most of them, and I don't think they would do such a thing. It was alleged that some journalists received money as if a button had been pressed. Of course, they also made statements," he said.

"WHAT DOES A PHONE CALL PROVE?"

Recalling the Ergenekon process in journalism from the past, Portakal said, "Targeting people, character assassination. You have to put the document on the table, my friend. Are you preparing a gossip indictment, prosecutor! What can a phone call prove? Besides, one can talk. I also congratulated Ekrem İmamoğlu after he was elected. He is my friend from university. So, a person can talk, what is wrong with that?"

Portakal also voiced his criticisms of pro-government journalists, stating, "When we look at pro-government journalists, all of them should be investigated as well. Come here, why did you get on that plane, why did you meet with that minister? We are talking about a system that runs on gossip. We will see in time what kind of indictment will emerge," he said.