Fatih Portakal responds to criticisms! 'If the same thing happened on this channel...'

Following the broadcast on Halk TV of a phone conversation with an expert witness, which had been made public by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, journalists Barış Pehlivan, Serhan Asker, and Seda Selek were detained as part of an investigation launched into the matter.

Sözcü TV Main News Bulletin anchor Fatih Portakal had stated in his remarks regarding the detention of the journalists, "Barış Pehlivan should question himself; it was not the right move."

Portakal made a new statement following the backlash his words caused. Expressing that he stands by his thoughts and what he said, Portakal noted the following:

"I stand by my opinion, and I stand by what I said. Why should I defend something that is wrong? I cannot defend it. It was something that should not have been done. You ask, 'Should I broadcast this or not?' They would say 'Broadcast it,' and you broadcast it, or they would say 'Don't broadcast it,' and you don't. Even Ece, the Main News anchor of Halk TV, says it was a 'mistake.' When you say this, you are seen as unpleasant, but I cannot support what is wrong, my friend."

"I also criticize this: is it that easy to detain people? By putting on a show. You come, you issue a notification to the person, and you say, 'Come and give your statement.' You take the person, keep them waiting until morning, and make them suffer. I am against this to the end, but if there is a wrong, I say it too."

"What I understand is this: from what I can see, Suat Toktaş and Kürşad Oğuz at Halk TV made the decision. We learn this later. Because Barış Pehlivan says, 'I didn't even know about it, I didn't distribute it.' Later, Halk TV is forced to make a statement."

"I wish Suat Toktaş had gone with Kürşad Oğuz to be by Barış Pehlivan's side from the very beginning. That was what should have been done anyway.

I talk about neighborhood pressure. Pressure doesn't work on me. If the same thing happened on this channel, I would come out and say this. I would take my jacket and leave."

As part of the investigation, Halk TV Editor-in-Chief Suat Toktaş and the Halk TV Programs Manager were detained. Halk TV Responsible Manager Serhan Asker and Halk TV anchor Seda Selek were released with a travel ban and judicial control conditions.

Barış Pehlivan, Kürşad Oğuz, and Suat Toktaş were referred to court with a request for their arrest.

Halk TV Editor-in-Chief Suat Toktaş was arrested by the Istanbul 5th Criminal Judgeship of Peace. Barış Pehlivan and Kürşad Oğuz were released under judicial control conditions.