Press Advertisement Institution Cuts Public Ads of Daily BirGün for 7 Days

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The Press Advertisement Institution (BİK) has cut the public ads of BirGün newspaper over two separate news reports about the Turkish Red Crescent.

While the daily has been fined for two days over its news report "Red Crescent has conglomerated" (Kızılay holdingleşti) dated September 10, 2019, its public ads have been cut for five days over another news report entitled "Millions-worth tender goes to the fan of Menzil [religious sect]" (Milyonluk ihale Menzil hayranına) and published on September 16, 2019.

According to the news dated September 10, the executives of Turkish Red Crescent would receive "daily allowance" from its affiliate companies. "The executive board members of Red Crescent will also receive payments from the companies under the name of 'daily allowance'," the news said.

As the reason for fining the daily over this news report, the BİK has referred to the headline used in the printed version of the newspaper. "Second salary under the name of daily allowance," the headline in the printed newspaper read. According to the BİK, "as the daily allowance cannot be considered a salary, the news of BirGün was contrary to facts."

In the news report published on the newspaper on September 16, 2019, it was said, "The company of Ferhat Danışman, who does not hide his admiration for the Menzil Sect, has won a tender worth of 120 million Euro from the Red Crescent. It has attracted attention that the tender for three different blood tests was done with bargaining method."

While the Turkish Crescent has not refuted this news and the article does not say that the tender was contrary to the law, the BİK has cited a subjective remark in the report as the reason for the fine.

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(HA/SD)