Tele 1 TV's editor-in-chief gives statement for sharing claim of plan to assassinate Kılıçdaroğlu

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Merdan Yanardağ, the editor-in-chief of the Tele1 TV Channel, gave a statement to the İstanbul chief prosecutor yesterday (May 18) in the scope of an investigation into his post about the claim that a group entered from Georgia to Turkey in order to assassinate the presidential candidate and Republican People's Party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

Yanardağ was later sent to court.

İstanbul 1st Penal Court of Peace did not arrest and released Yanardağ on condition of judicial control.

What happened?

Merdan Yanardağ claimed that a group entered from Georgia to Turkey to assassinate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on May 12.

Yanardağ claimed that Galip Öztürk who is living in Georgia as a fugitive, organized this in return for a pardon for himself in Turkey. He wrote that the assassination could take place in the Samsun meeting of Kılıçdaroğlu.

Yanardağ had written in his post, "I think it is necessary to share with the public an important event which can affect the political and social life in Turkey dramatically even if it is late at night. Because I trusted my news source... It is being reported that a group to assassinate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu entered Turkey from Georgia."

Kılıçdaroğlu addressed the meeting wearing a steel vest and together with security guards carrying long barreled weapons.

İstanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office prepared an indictment about Yanardağ charging him with "publicly disseminating information misleading the public" according to article 217/A of the Turkish Criminal Code. The prosecutor's office invited Yanardağ to give a statement as a "suspect."

(HA/PE)