Murat Ağırel and Timur Soykan's police statements revealed: 'It has no news value to me'

Journalists Timur Soykan, a columnist for BirGün, and Murat Ağırel, a columnist for Cumhuriyet, were detained in police raids on their homes early in the morning over allegations of "threats" and "blackmail," following a complaint by Erkan Kork, the owner of Flash TV and Bank Pozitif, who is currently imprisoned in a money laundering investigation.

Both journalists' homes were searched, and their digital equipment was seized. The journalists, whose police statements were completed around 17:10, were transferred to the courthouse.

The police statements of journalists Timur Soykan and Murat Ağırel have been obtained.

"IT IS COMPLETELY FALSE"

According to BirGün, when asked about the statements Erkan Kork made to the prosecutor's office, Soykan said, "These claims are completely false. We knew that he was being tried on charges of illegal betting and that the Payfix electronic payment company he owns was accused of being used for the transfer of illegal betting funds. The subject of the news was that a person being tried for illegal betting was the owner of an electronic payment system and a bank. Everywhere in the world, it is newsworthy for a suspect in illegal betting to be the owner of an e-payment system, a bank, and a TV channel."

Stating, "I absolutely supported this news," Soykan said the following:

"Murat Ağırel's series of articles is a successful piece of journalism. There was never any threat against him regarding his purchase of Flash TV, as Erkan Kork claims. An accusation such as preventing him from buying Flash TV is out of the question; as far as I know, he had already bought Flash TV at that time. He even showed a screenshot on his phone during our meeting. This image was a chyron from a Flash TV news bulletin, and it was a text claiming that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan did not have a diploma. He spoke saying, 'I am the owner of the channel, we broadcast all kinds of things.' The news I wrote about him was regarding his attendance at the wedding of BDDK (Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency) Vice President Mustafa Aydın; in the videos I took at this wedding, I found the moments when Erkan Kork was pinning jewelry on Mustafa Aydın and reported on it."

“I WAS DETAINED BY ORDER”

"Police officers who called us on the phone gave us information about this matter and said that the prosecutor had summoned us to give a statement. Our lawyers went to the prosecutor, and we were told by the prosecutor to come and give a statement today at 13:00. I was going to try my luck by going in the morning to give my statement because I was planning to go to Ankara at noon. However, even though it was known that we were going to give a statement, I was detained at my home by the prosecutor's order. I believe that the slanders above are not limited to Erkan Kork alone, and that a gang within the judiciary is making a move to silence and intimidate us journalists. This is an application that is completely contrary to freedom of the press and freedom of expression. I am thinking of filing a complaint against both those who made the slander and those who usurped our democratic rights."

MURAT AĞIREL'S STATEMENT

Murat Ağırel said in his statement, "I did not know the person named Erkan Kork before the meetings. I am not interested in the financial and investment decisions of Erkan Kork and similar individuals, unless it is for my research activities. Therefore, the acquisition of Flash TV does not carry any importance for me."

Stating, "The subject I am researching is the Payfix company and its illegal betting and illegal betting financing leg," Ağırel noted the following:

"Other than this, the acquisition of Flash TV, and especially its acquisition by Erkan Kork, has no news value for me. I did not write any news with the claim of defamation regarding this matter. My news, articles, and books are clear. There is no element that could be described as defamation other than the subject I am researching and the content of the audio recordings and meetings held regarding this matter. I did not try to put him under pressure. Furthermore, if I were trying to put him under pressure, I would not have requested a meeting in a public space and allowed him to record audio; on the contrary, I would have insisted on holding the meeting in an area I determined and under my control. Timur Soykan has nothing to do with the matter. He is an independent journalist. He does not take instructions from anyone on what to do or what not to do. I have no action that makes any imputation against Erkan Kork. I only did journalism."

News Source: 12punto