Minister Arınç Has Asked Akman to Leave Office

Bülent Arınç, who was named Deputy Prime Minister on 1 May this year, has revealed on a television show that he has talked to Zahid Akman, president of the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) and asked him to leave office.

Speaking to journalist Fatih Altaylı on the "Teke Tek" programme on Haber Türk channel, Arınç said yesterday (21 May):

"I say this for the first time. After I became minister, I spoke with Zahid Akman, who had come to congratulate me... I told him, 'These accusations are harming you, your institution and the government. Now that I have become deputy PM in charge of RTÜK, they can also damage me, since such a public opinion has been formed. As far as the people are concerned, the relation between the RTÜK presidency and the Lighthouse association has become damaging. I would like you to leave office.' I said this to him a week ago. He understood and agreed with me."

Akman will not stand again

When Altaylı asked Arınç whether he had asked for Akman's resignation, the minister answered that he had said, "It would be good if you left, at least until the investigation has made things clearer." He said that Akman had told him that he would not stand as a candidate again when his term of office ended in July.

Following the trial of three people in Germany for embezzling donations made to the Lighthouse association, Akman's name had come up as one of the people in Turkey who have organised the scam. It is also alleged that Akman has been a member of several companies' managing boards during his time as RTÜK president.

File translation completed

Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor Hüseyin Boyrazoğlu has announced that the trial file of the Lighthouse case in Germany, a 3,500-page document, has been translated into Turkish. Three prosecutors have been assigned the task of investigating the connections in Turkey, and Germany has been asked for legal support.

Copies of the file have been sent to the Supreme Court of Appeals. (TK/AG)