Akit TV Presenter: We Would Have Started from Cihangir if We Intended to Kill Civilians

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Presenter of program called “Gün Başlıyor” broadcast on Akit TV Ahmet Keser has said the following regarding the claims that Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) kills civilians in Afrin.

“Army of Republic of Turkey is killing civilians..Why would it? Why would army of Turkey be there if there were civilians? Why would army of Turkey go there to kill civilians?

“If we had the intention to kill civilians, we would have started doing it from Cihangir, Nişantaşı, Etiler*..Right? I mean there are lots of traitors, there is the parliament..”

Akit TV addressing Cumhuriyet had said "it's permissible to kill the likes of you"

While reading out different newspapers’ headlines on air, Akit TV presenter Yusuf Ozan referred to Cumhuriyet’s headline “11 Soldiers Killed in Afrin” as “dirt” and made antisemitic statements.

Ozan used derogatory expressions claiming Cumhuriyet was conducting a “perception operation” and targeted and threatened the newspaper, saying “In war, it is permissible to kill the likes of you.”

Some of Ozan’s statements were as follows:

* “You liked that there were 11 [dead], you put this in the headline because you orgasmed thinking of the number.”

* “Oh how I wish there was a one-man regime... So that he would shut you down in a second, and I wish there was shariah law, I wish capital punishment was legal and he hanged you all, I’m being very frank, you’re all traitors...”

* “You who hide behind the sword of democracy, the cover of democracy, you are scourge to this country. You can get offended or make yourself hoarse saying whatever, I don’t care, but I wish there was capital punishment in this country. It should be off with your head, you’re a traitor.”

* “Forget about democracy, in war it’s permissible to kill the likes of you. Granted I’m succumbing to my rage but you truly have no honor. God damn you! You have no blood, no honor, no dignity, no integrity. You don’t have a trace of religion nor faith in you. You are relics of an era. These are all crypto-zionists. Whoever stages an operation on a country in such a time is a traitor.” (EKN/TK)

*Cihangir, Nişantaşı and Etiler are among the predominantly dissident districts.