From Minister to Reporter: What You Do is Not Journalism, But Foolery

Click to read the article in Turkish

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli has responded to a question of Fox TV reporter about the allegations that the Meat and Fish Authority has been importing meat without a tender since January, by saying, "You do trivial things; what you do is not journalism, but foolery."

On October 9, when the reporter asked a question to about the issue for the first time, the minister was led away from the reporter by his adviser.

The reporter, who posed the same question to the minister nine days later, has been reprimanded by the minister this time.

The reporter and minister had the following conversation:

Minister Pakdemirli: What did you do the last time? While I was moving between two television programmes, you just plunged into the broadcast and benefited from my busy schedule.

Reporter: We did not plunge into the broadcast. We wanted to stop you to ask a question.

Pakdemirli: My press adviser might have made a mistake, but, in essence, he was right and you are in the wrong.

Reporter: But, you were going to stop and answer our questions.

Pakdemirli: You did it by benefiting from my busy schedule. Look, what is important? Did something pass through someone's throat? Is its price right?

Reporter: Is it right to lodge a tender afterwards?

Pakdemirli: It is a tender bid of 100 thousand Turkish Lira. Billions of dollars in the state... You are coming here and making a pirate broadcast. I will make them apply accreditation procedure on you. A purchase of hundreds of thousands of dollars is made in the state. And with the trivial things that you do, you are trying to damage the prestige of the state. I do not find it right in any way at all. What you do here is not journalism, but foolery. (EKN/SD)