Balance of 3 Months: “How Many Interventions to the Media With Recordings?”

According to January-February-March 2014 of bianet’s Media Monitoring report, Turkey’s agenda was mainly set to leaked voice recordings from the social media accounts Haramzadeler, Haramzadelerucyuzotuzuc and Haramzadeler Collection. Recordings brought the topics of PM Erdoğan and his officers removing content from Channel 24, Habertürk, NTV, Milliyet and TRT, journalists being dismissed from their jobs, PM Erdoğan forcing to operate on unlawful actions and interference to the law on the media related issues.  

Following Zaman newspaper’s inquiry on February 11th, PM Erdoğan admitted that he called Habertürk manager Fatih Saraç, adding that there is nothing more natural than complaining on a news ticker which attacked him directly.

Now “Alo Akif”: According to a leaked voice recording from an internet account “Başçalan”, PM Erdoğan interfered to the journalist Akif Beki’s Politics 24 TV Show on Channel 24. (March 24^th). The recording said that Erdoğan was complaining of Ali Bayramoğlu, Hasan Cemal and Okay Gönensin participating to the show: “Here, you see at once side Mustafa Karalioğlu, at the other side Ali Bayramoğlu, Hasan Cemal and Okay Gönensin… I don’t get how you could form a scene like this, I am astonished,” Erdoğan said.

“He’s our Mustafa, I wasn’t able to follow it my Minister, I got my buffer removed I couldn’t watch that much TV” said Akif Beki and Erdoğan responded: “Okay but we can’t be our own voice overly here. I can’t explain you this. We can’t get anything from these men” and mentioned that he was devastated about this situation.

To Altaylı and Semerci: On a recording that was on the social media, a voice that was claimed to be PM Erdogan’s talks to claimed to be the voice of Habertürk manager Fatih Saraç; he harshly criticized Habertürk editorial chief Fatih Altaylı and Habertürk newspaper writer Yavuz Semerci (March 24^th).

Erdoğan said that Kılıçdaroğlu had too much space in the middle pages of the newspaper, and gets mad at a statement of Kılıçdaroğlu and says “Who do you think you are? How can you appoint me?”

Ministry wanted detention for Baransu: December 17^th operations’ prosecution statements were published on the journalist Mehmet Baransu’s website yenidonem.com. A voice recording was released on 3 discussions Minister of Internal Affairs Efkan Ala and İstanbul Governor Hüseyin Avni Mutlu claimed to have on this issue (March 12^th).

In the first discussion, the person claimed to be Efkan Ala mentioned to the person claimed to be Vali Mutlu that Baransu must be detained because he released National Security Council (MYK)’s documents: “All of his documents must be taken” said Ala and Mutlu replied: “Let me talk this to our Attorney General right away”.

In the second discussion, Vali Mutlu said he talked to Chief Attorney General Turan Çolakkadı and added: “He didn’t know the situation; he said ‘I will look at it right away”.

Ala mentioned that he called the Police Commissioner Hüseyin Çapkın on Baransu and added: “My governor, I was very angry and called Mr.Çapkın. Our minister called, I took the call. Look, people don’t have the right to commit crimes in Turkey. He is red-handed, this guy is publishing these right now, even our citizens will take a man red-handed. Please go there. Hüseyin is also going to be there, I told him.”

“If they don’t give any search warrants they should go in to prevent crime. We will protect you no matter what. He is going to break the door and take the man. This is a shame. He is committing a crime right now. We don’t even need a court warrant” said Ala.

Interference to NTV: A voice recording that was leaked on the social media claimed that PM Erdoğan wanted a favor from Doğuş Group General Manager Ferit Şahent for Yigit Bulut to be shown on NTV after the December 17^th operation (March 11^th).

The first recording was claimed to be between PM Erdogan and his key advisor Yalçın Akdoğan; Akdoğan said that NTV managers were telling him “They are under pressure and receiving insults” and they didn’t want to put Bulut on the show. On the second recording, Başbakan said “Another version of Gezi movement” for December 17^th operations and the voice claimed to be Şahenk’s says they weren’t able to get a positive reply from the channel and said “We are going to organize this with Yalçın”.

The third recording was claimed to be between Yalçın Akdoğan and NTV Editorial Chief Nermin Yurteri. Akdoğan said “Baran from NTV said “we are broadcasting a balanced show, we get a lot of insults’” the reply of Yurteri was “Exactly” and after that he says “That’s not how it’s seen over here.” Yurteri replies to the complaint on NTV by saying “The next step of this is 10.000 people gathering in front of our door again, I’m very clear about this.” Akdoğan wanted the reports on the Twitter insults and viewers’ opinions and says “There aren’t many people on the shows to support us, everything is negative. Corruption emphasis is in the spotlight. This is extrajudicial execution”.

Yurteri gave examples from the people on the show and objects “This is the most balance we can have Yalçın, the ministers in the investigation may show sensibility because their names are mentioned, but there is no such thing as not saying names anymore…” After the discussions, Bulut received an invitation to an NTV show on December 21^st, 2013.

“Headlines are ready daddy!”: On a voice recording that was leaked on the social media claimed that PM Erdoğan and his son Bilal Erdoğan had a dialogue on the need of serious media support to teach Fethullah Gülen’s Group their place on December 18^th, 2013. Bilal Erdoğan said “You will see the headlines, Taksim Newspaper wrote ‘Preacher Lobby’ in the headline. Sabah newspaper wrote ‘Tapes didn’t work let us give you files’. All of them are ready daddy. They’re waiting for your instruction. They will start hitting from the top.” Erdoğan replies “Alright, we will put the things they have in their hands” (March 9^th).

3 accounts release voice recordings and get shut down: After the December 17^th corruption operations, the Youtube accounts, Haramzadeler, Haramzadelerucyuzotuzuc and Haramzadeler Collections, that leaked voice recordings that were claimed to be between PM Erdogan and his immediate surroundings were suspended (March 8^th).

Dialogue between PM Erdoğan and Demirören: A voice recording on the social media showed PM Erdoğan reprimanding Milliyet and Vatan newspapers’ owner Erdoğan Demirören. PM Erdoğan said “scandal, lowness, vileness, smallness” to Demirören for the headline “İmralı Records” in Milliyet newspaper on February 28^th, 2013.  PM Erdoğan asked the source who leaked these news “to do what’s necessary” and Demirören pledged “to bring the information in front of him that night.” Demirören called PM Erdoğan “The boss” and asks him “Did we upset you?” Erdoğan replied “You ruined us” and he will not take anyone from Milliyet on his plane again. At the end of the dialogue Demirören started crying and said “How did I get into this job?”.

 The voice recording gave ideas on the background of continuing eliminations of Hasan Cemal, Can Dündar, Editorial Chief Derya Sazak and the Broadcast Coordinator Tahir Özyurtseven at the Milliyet newspaper.

On the voice recording, Demirören asked “What do you want from me?” and Erdogan replied “I want you to do whatever you can do to these dishonorable people, you should ask them how they could put on this headline. Would you keep a dishonest man in your office?” On their second dialogue, Demirören said “I will do whatever needs to be done” and Erdogan replied “Derya Sazak is responsible of this situation, the impudent (Namık Duman) that made these news is responsible. I wonder who leaked this…” Demirören cries and says “How did I get into this job, for who?”

PM Erdoğan is After Doğan! A voice recording that was leaked on the Başcalan social media account claimed that there were two dialogues between PM Erdoğan and Minister of Justice Sadullah Ergin on Erdogan trying to have effect on various cases (March 3^rd).

It is understood that the voice recording was from the corruption and bribery investigation, it was said that PM Erdogan tried to speed up the process on the case of Doğan Group owner Aydın Doğan by talking to Ergin. Doğan’s previous case was about “irregularity of taxes” with and Aydın Doğan got an extreme monetary fee. His new case was with the Capital Market Board. Ergin mentioned that he is pursuing this situation. On the second recording; Erdoğan said that the decision wasn’t the way he wanted it to be, and Ergin said the judge was Alevi. It was seen that Erdoğan was pursuing the next steps of the case which concluded in the local court. He told Ergin that the members of the Supreme Court Punishment Board must be followed closely because the case will be transferred there.

Instructions to 4 channels from “Our Senior”: The last voice recording on Youtube that was leaked from the “Haramzadeler” account it was claimed that Başbakan Erdoğan gave instructions to 4 TV channels for a live broadcast on training centers with the Minister of Education (February 28^th).

Call recordings of Fatih Saraç from Habertürk channel, Oğuz Usluer and editorial chief Fatih Altaylı’s was released. On November 14^th 2013 dated recordings, Saraç, was trying to explain where the instruction came from to Altaylı and Usluer by saying “I’m with our senior. He told me, did you get it?”

Dialogue on dismissal of TRT people: A voice recording that was leaked on the social media claimed that PM Erdoğan’s advisor Mustafa Varank called a TRT manager and asked for News Office Vice President Erol Yüksel to get fired because of his tweet “training centers are the right of public” (February 22^nd).

Do we need laws for censorship? A voice recording that was leaked on the social media claimed that there was a dialogue between Telecommunication Communication President (TİB) Internet Information Communication Technologies Telecommunication Office President Nihat Şen  and PM Erdoğan’s advisor Mustafa Varank (February 19^th).

According to the voice recording, the basis of URL based suspensions on the contents on the internet was prepared before the law came out. Şen called Varank and said that “the video started to spread on the internet” and Telekom has prepared a basis for the “restricted number of URLs they have.” According to Şen these URLs can be suspended. But, it wasn’t legal to suspend URLs before the law that was published on the Official Newspaper. In addition, BTK TİB Office President Şen told that they created a group for the videos and they will start working with Telekom and remove them. Şen mentioned that Youtube wanted a court order and Vamank insisted on asking if some of the URL suspensions could work for Youtube.

A PM called a newspaper: According to a voice recording released on the internet, Habertürk newspaper dismissed 3 of their workers because PM Erdoğan called the manager Fatih Saraç and said “When they’re putting this headline it upsets us that they ignore all of the things we have done in health sector” (February 10^th). 

Saraç said “As you wish” to PM Erdogan and he calls the Health Minister Mehmet Müezzinoğlu and mentioned that they’re going to do some positive news from the first page. Saraç also explained the situation to Fatih Altaylı and said “Call him.”

Interference from PM’s advisor to the broadcast: A voice recording that was leaked on the social media claims that PM Erdogan’s head advisor Yalçın Akdoğan called Habertürk manager Fatih Saraç and warns him on not to broadcast CHP deputies Parliamentary dialogues (February 10^th).

Akdoğan told Saraç “We are closing Parliamentary TV for no one to see it and you’re broadcasting the Parliament live”. On an another recording, it was claimed that Saraç called a person named Abdullah from Habertürk and tried to fix the situation.

Interference to the broadcast from PM Erdoğan: A voice recording that was released on the social media claimed that PM Erdoğan was disturbed from Habertürk channel giving a statement of MHP leader Bahçeli as news tickles. He called Habertürk manager Fatih Saraç on June 4^th from Morocco and did interference to the situation (February 4^th). 

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