Three journalists from pro-opposition broadcaster Halk TV have been detained over the airing of a phone conversation with a court-appointed expert whose role in multiple investigations has been a recent point of controversy.
Journalist and pundit Barış Pehlivan, Seda Selek, the host of the program where the call was broadcast, and Serhan Asker, Halk TV'a manager responsible for legal affairs, were taken into custody yesterday, shortly before the new episode of their program.
The expert, identified by the initials S.B., was publicly named by İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on Jan 27. İmamoğlu had alleged that S.B. was repeatedly assigned as an expert witness in investigations targeting municipalities run by his Republican People’s Party (CHP) in İstanbul, despite the presence of hundreds of other experts in the city.
The mayor suggested that this pattern pointed to political interference by the government. Shortly after his remarks, İmamoğlu himself became the subject of an investigation for allegedly "attempting to influence the judiciary."
İstanbul mayor faces fresh investigation after claiming bias by court-appointed expert
Halk TV journalists now face similar charges, accused of illegally recording a conversation and attempting to influence judicial proceedings. The allegations are based on the claim that the phone call was recorded and broadcast without consent and that the expert’s name was disclosed in a way that could impact ongoing legal cases.
If convicted, the journalists could face up to five years in prison.
Following the broadcast, Turkey’s media watchdog, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), launched an investigation in to Halk TV. RTÜK President Ebubekir Şahin described Halk TV’s actions as "contrary to journalism" and stated that appropriate measures would be taken once the review was complete. Halk TV owner Cafer Mahiroğlu criticized Şahin’s remarks, accusing him of "announcing a penalty before the council had even convened."
In a separate statement, Halk TV said that the program in question was part of its journalistic activities and that the interview allowed "S.B. to exercise his right to respond."
Journalists reject charges
The three journalists spent the night in police custody before being transferred to court. During questioning, they denied the charges of "recording and intercepting private conversations" and "attempting to influence an expert witness."
Barış Pehlivan, in his statement to police, pointed out that pro-government newspaper Yeni Şafak had also interviewed the same expert. "If Yeni Şafak can conduct an interview without issue, why is it considered a crime when Halk TV’s Barış Pehlivan does the same?" he asked.
Hüseyin Ersöz, the lawyer representing Pehlivan and Selek, spoke to reporters outside İstanbul’s Çağlayan Courthouse. He argued that the journalists were detained solely for their journalistic activities, which he said raised concerns over press freedom and freedom of expression.
Ersöz also criticized the timing of their arrests, noting that they were taken into custody before their scheduled broadcast. "This is a violation of their right to liberty and an excessive intervention," he said. (VK)
