First statement from Halk TV owner Cafer Mahiroğlu on the ROK crisis: 'It started with a tweet by Barış Pehlivan'

Following the interview with Rasim Ozan Kütahyalı on Halk TV's YouTube channel, a wave of backlash within the channel led to a series of resignations. After the team of the 'Kayda Geçsin' program announced their departure from the channel, Halk TV owner Cafer Mahiroğlu issued a statement. Mahiroğlu also appeared on the main news bulletin presented by Ece Üner to provide further comments.

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First statement from Halk TV owner Cafer Mahiroğlu on the ROK crisis: 'It started with a tweet by Barış Pehlivan'

Mahiroğlu broke his silence following the backlash at the channel and made a statement on his social media account.

Halk TV owner Cafer Mahiroğlu then joined the channel's main news bulletin and made striking statements to Ece Üner.

Here is the post shared by Mahiroğlu:

Announcement to the public

Last night, a campaign was launched against me and the channel by a group of Halk TV programmers on social media due to an interview published on our YouTube channel.

Rasim Ozan Kütahyalı, who is the subject of the campaign's justification, has no connection to me or the channel's editorial line, and cannot have one. This is entirely a road accident.

Furthermore, I had no knowledge that this interview was being conducted for our YouTube platform, which has a different management than the television channel and the website. If I had known, I would not have approved it.

As a business person, when I entered this business by risking everything I have, my goal was to provide a democratic platform where dozens of journalists could express their views.

I am happy that the friends who produce programs on the channel can easily criticize the channel and its owner, which shows that I have established a culture of critical journalism.

However, I am disappointed in the belief in the sanctity of the right of reply. When I requested the right of reply from the 'Kayda Geçsin' team to explain to our viewers how the process developed and how that interview was published, this request was rejected.

When I insisted on using my right of reply, they conveyed that they preferred not to produce the program. Yet, the right of reply is sacred, and no democrat would reject it.

Rejecting the right of reply has no place in the conscience or in the culture of Halk TV.

I leave this attitude to the conscience of all democrats, stakeholders, and our viewers who believe in the sanctity of the right of reply.

SPOKE ON THE MAIN NEWS BULLETIN AND POINTED TO BARIŞ PEHLİVAN

Following his post, Cafer Mahiroğlu joined the channel's main news bulletin and made the following statement to Ece Üner:

I have no reaction to the audience, I express my gratitude to them, I have no grievance with the audience... While there were no views yet, when only 1,100 people had watched the video, this backlash campaign started and grew with the tweet posted by Barış Pehlivan. Our friends made posts one after another.

This campaign started from within, I don't know the reason for this, I am not accusing anyone, if one must go to prison, one goes...

Barış is a friend who knows me, he was unfairly lynched a short time ago... While messages were being sent saying 'He exposed Suat Toktaş, he should not be put on screen', we stood by Barış. But I want to know why he sent this message. Even if only Cafer Mahiroğlu remains on this channel, this channel will continue without changing its editorial policy.

I pay all the fines I receive, and I have never interfered with any of my programmers.

I am a political channel owner, our friend on YouTube was given authority so that the channel could develop; there may have been a lack of communication between us due to the workload, it is an event that developed entirely from him... I am just stating it as an observation: Rasim Ozan Kütahyalı cannot be with us under any circumstances.

I find it wrong that such a message was posted without a phone call regarding the broadcast made to me. I should have been given the right of reply; I cannot understand these friends taking such steps without asking me.

Friends should have performed their duty of warning; we are being attacked both inside and outside. It is surprising to be on the agenda with such things at a time when we are striving to achieve democracy.

A road accident has occurred, and this is beyond my initiative... I had no knowledge, and I do not approve of such a thing. A road accident...

I was not asked, it was not asked in any way; the right of reply is sacred. What can I say about my colleagues who do not grant the right of reply to their own boss...

News Source: 12punto