‘What Do You Mean by “Island in Mourning", You Have Ruined it’

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NTV Anchor Oğuz Haksever forgot that his microphone was on while presenting the visit of President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Yassıada Island today (May 27).

The incident took place when President Erdoğan was referring to the island in following words: "I don't call it Yassıada. I call it 'Yaslı Ada' [island in mourning]. I hope that we will turn it into an island where national and international meetings take place."

Presenting the NTV news live at 1 p.m. today, Oğuz Haksever forgot that his microphone was on and while Erdoğan was still speaking, he was heard to be saying, "What do you mean by island in mourning? You have ruined it." The regie cut the connection of the microphone after he uttered these words.

'My reaction is to those who prepared the project'

Making a statement regarding the incident, Haksever has said, "I feel the need to clarify my intention there" and said the following:

"I am of the conviction that the arrangements in Yassıada do not reflect 'the air of sadness supposed to prevail in this very important place'.

"When I heard those remarks of Dear President, I started muttering to myself; though I said 'You [plural] have ruined it', it was aired on TV as if I said 'You [singular] have ruined it' because when the regie realized it, they turned down the voice immediately.

"My actual reaction is to the ones who prepared the project. I apologize to the whole public for this mishap that occurred during the broadcast."

About the Island of Yassıada

Yassıada is one of the Princes' Islands located in Marmara Sea near İstanbul. After the military coup on May 27, 1960, several people from the ruling Demokrat Party (DP) of the time, including the then Prime Minister Adnan Menderes, the then Finance Minister Hasan Polatkan and the then Minister of Foreign Affairs Fatin Rüştü Zorlu, who were then executed by hanging, were arrested and put on trial in the island.

The island was zoned for construction in April 2013 and it now looks like this:

(HA/SD)