Turkey's Pro-Gov't Editors Sacked In Mass Purge

Editors at some of Turkey's pro-government media outlets were sacked in a mass purge on Monday, with observers pointing to an internal reckoning within the country's pro-government media constellation.

The largest purge took place at Star Media Group, owned by one of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's closest businessmen, Ethem Sancak, who sacked the chief of the media holding as well as editors of two other newspapers. Mustafa Karaalioğlu, chief of Star Media Group, which publishes the Star daily and broadcasts Kanal 24 -- both steadfast pro-government outlets -- were fired on Monday, a statement released by Murat Sancak,

Executive Board Director of the media group, said. Sancak said the group decided to reshuffle the upper levels of the media outlets due to a change on the board of directors. He added that the new editor-in-chief of Star, Yusuf Ziya Cömert, as well as Editor-in-Chief of Akşam daily, also owned by Sancak, were also fired on Monday. Observers speculate that the purge was done under Erdoğan's auspices.

Turkish media reports said TL 2 million, which was supposed to be used to promote the newspaper, was wasted by Karaalioğlu and his team. Sancak was also said to be angered with Karaalioğlu's salary, which was said to be TL 100,000 ($45,000) a month.

Sancak is known for his unconditional support for Erdoğan. After Erdoğan was elected president, the businessman reportedly said he was "in love" with the leader and he that is his "idol." He stated that he was involved in the media business to promote the "mission of the AK Party," or the Justice and Development Party.

Columnist Cemil Ertem was fired by Karaalioğlu last week for allegedly "orchestrating a defamation campaign" against several people, including Karaalioğlu, with the help of Erdoğan's chief adviser Yiğit Bulut and pro-government social media trolls. After he was fired, Ertem urged followers on his Twitter feed to reject "thieves in the media and those who rip off their bosses."

According to a voice recording that was part of a corruption investigation, Karaalioğlu had reportedly asked the chief of state-run Halkbank, Süleyman Aslan, "Süleyman, send 2 million, will you?" He was thereafter indelibly tainted as a media executive who is unable to pay his employees' salaries and who asked Aslan for money. (Cihan/Today’s Zaman)