Fox TV reveals Erdogan insults the media because of Kiliçdaroglu

Mahmoud Mohammadi

Since the failed coup attempt in Turkey in the summer of 2016, the country has been experiencing a bitter reality regarding freedom of the media, where Ankara ranks 157th out of 180 in the press freedom rankings of 2018 by Reporters Without Borders, which stressed that the number of journalists imprisoned in Turkey is the largest in the world.

In the same context, a Fox Haber reporter questioned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the pressures on the media in the country and the validity of what opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kiliçdaroglu said regarding the Turkish government’s sale of a national tank factory to a private Turkish-Qatari company.

The Turkish president seemed nervous after the question, responding, “Fox Haber should stop publishing false news; you have to be honest once. Kiliçdaroglu has repeated lies throughout his life.”

In turn, several human rights organizations denounced Erdogan’s response to the Fox reporter, saying that his answer was a rebuke to the reporter, which is unacceptable, in addition to his accusation that the station promotes lies.

The Turkish Press Council condemned the president’s dealings with the reporter, calling on Erdogan to stop his continued pressure on the media and journalists, pointing out that Turkey is going through the most difficult stage in its history in terms of freedom of opinion and expression.

Disturbing the ruling authority

Fatih Portakal, the most famous broadcaster on Fox Haber political programs, said that the channel will continue to criticize and ask questions, adding, “Our broadcast disturbs the ruling authority, and this is because we provide the right news. No one can accuse us of spreading false news. The president accused us of that, but we didn’t, we are broadcasting the right news. Annoyed by our questions? We will continue to ask you questions.”

Fox Haber is an American channel broadcast in Turkish from Istanbul. It is the highest watched channel in Turkey out of hundreds of television channels.

Persecution of journalists

It is noteworthy that the Turkish Journalists Union announced last July that it will file a lawsuit before the Istanbul Court against a pro-government research center, the Foundation for Economic and Social Research, accusing it of incitement against journalists working for foreign media.

Paris-based Reporters Without Borders condemned Turkey’s actions and said Erdogan’s government was taking the harassment of foreign media reporters to a new level. “We firmly condemn this new attempt of intimidation and stand by our targeted colleagues.”

The Maat Foundation for Peace, Development and Human Rights presented a report during the 41st session of the UN Human Rights Council on the restrictions on freedom of opinion and expression in Turkey, as well as the high frequency of illegal arrests.

Maat called for intervention to put an end to the restrictions imposed by the Erdogan regime on the right to freedom of opinion and expression. This came in light of the ongoing harassment and violations committed by the authorities against all activists, dissidents and journalists, in violation of international norms and conventions, especially Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.