Onlar TV has released a statement regarding the background of the process following the detention of journalist Murat Ağırel as part of an investigation into Mustafa Sarıgül and his family. The post stated that before reporting the allegations forwarded to him, Ağırel attempted to verify them with documents, sought a response from the opposing party, and did not publish information he could not verify.
In the statement titled "The Murat Ağırel operation, event by event, document by document," it was argued that Ağırel was targeted due to allegations forwarded by certain individuals living in Germany. According to Onlar TV, these individuals accused Ağırel of not reporting on Mustafa Sarıgül and his family using the documents provided to them, and of forwarding these documents to the Sarıgül side.
According to the information shared in the post, the process began during Ağırel's work regarding the real estate in Germany belonging to Melih Gökçek's son, Ahmet Gökçek, and his daughter-in-law, Hülya Gökçek. During this time, a person named Sinan Çampınar contacted Ağırel and said he wanted to convey some allegations regarding Mustafa Sarıgül, Emir Sarıgül, and Ömer Sarıgül.
In Onlar TV's statement, it was expressed that Çampınar was partners with German citizens K.P. and M.B., and that he claimed there was a dispute over money with the Sarıgül family. It was reported that Çampınar raised allegations of off-the-books money transfers and money laundering, putting forward topics such as an 80 million euro contract, a 100 million euro wire transfer, and a 1 billion euro fund transfer.
EMPHASIS ON DOCUMENTS AND THE RIGHT OF REPLY
According to the statement, Ağırel said that he would not report based solely on photos, audio recordings, or video recordings, and that the allegations needed to be supported by receipts and documents showing the movement of money. Onlar TV stated that Çampınar did not send receipts for a while, yet still wanted the news to be published.
The post included information that Ağırel investigated the authenticity of the SWIFT document sent to him and asked the lawyers of the Mustafa Sarıgül side about the allegations. It was reported that Sarıgül's lawyer arrived with folders containing 10 years of account statements regarding the relevant bank account and stated that the money movement in question did not appear in the examined records.
“People definitely have a right of reply, Mr. Sinan. I am a journalist and I am not on anyone's side. Ultimately, the real issue here is the uncovering of the material truth.”
Onlar TV also stated that Ağırel informed Çampınar that he was obliged to verify the allegations in accordance with journalistic principles. The post quoted Ağırel as saying, “I do not publish according to a schedule set by any person or group. I verify and compare the information and documents in my possession within the framework of journalistic principles, and I publish them when I reach sufficient evidence.”
At the end of the statement, it was argued that Ağırel was accused because of a story he could not verify, and it was stated that documents regarding all conversations and correspondence are with his lawyer and will be presented to the prosecutor's office.
News Source: 12punto
