17.12.2025 08:55
Former Habertürk presenter Nur Köşker made new statements following the arrest of Mehmet Akif Ersoy. Köşker said, "He threatened me that if I didn't join him and accept being part of this system, which is associated with drug and sexual parties, I wouldn't be able to appear on screen. I rejected this deal and resigned."
Habertürk TV General Manager Mehmet Akif Ersoy was arrested and sent to prison on charges of "providing a place and opportunity for drug use" and "forcing women into sexual intercourse to gain sectoral and material benefits."
Following Ersoy's arrest, former Habertürk anchor Nur Köşker made striking statements, claiming that Ersoy had harassed her, which forced her to resign and leave Turkey.
"HE THREATENED ME OPENLY"
In new statements to Sabah newspaper, Köşker said, "He threatened me that if I did not agree to be part of the system he established, known for drug and sex parties, I would not be able to appear on screen. He explicitly threatened to take me off the screen by saying, 'Forget the screen, you can sit at the table and write news if you want.'
"I WAS UNEMPLOYED FOR A YEAR"
I rejected this deal and resigned. I paid the price. I was unemployed for about a year. I experienced homelessness. I struggled with serious health issues and attacks. I had to disconnect from my profession and then from this country," she stated.
"THERE IS A LONG-TERM HARASSMENT PROCESS"
Former Habertürk anchor Nur Köşker had made notable statements immediately after Ersoy's arrest. Köşker stated that she was systematically harassed by Ersoy, using the following expressions: "There is a long-term harassment process that started during my marriage. Holding the elevator door and sending ridiculous messages. For example, 'Get in front of the LED in the morning bulletin. I want to see your legs. They have hidden them behind the table.' Can such a general manager exist? The last part is the real bomb. He threatened to take me off the screen by saying, 'You can sit at the table and write news.' I have no evidence regarding this. If I had known he would say that, I would have definitely entered that room recording audio. Later, I said, 'I understand you. Let's solve it this way. I will resign and leave,' and I left like that.
"I WAS UNEMPLOYED FOR A YEAR, I EXPERIENCED THE HARDEST PERIOD OF MY LIFE"
Then I was unemployed for a year because of that idiot. I experienced the hardest period of my life. I had started there as a night anchor. Then they gave me the weekend main news. Mostly in the summer. I had to resign at a time when I was at the peak of my career. In the end, I thought, 'This won't work in this country,' and I left the country. I changed continents because of that man."
Köşker later explained on her social media account why she had not made a statement about what happened until now: "Everyone is asking why I stayed silent until now. First, I want to clarify this. Firstly, I never felt safe. He was a dark, deep man who we saw that nothing happened to him no matter what he did. Secondly, I was married at that time. I had a family and a spouse to protect. It was impossible for me to mention this situation to anyone. Now, let's get to what happened.
"I WRITE WITH SHAME, HE WAS NOT ASHAMED"
There was a long-term harassment process. As soon as he was appointed as the general manager, he started threatening to take me off the screen. In the end, I resigned and left the channel because he said either it would be this way or I would sit at the table and write news. If I had known he would say that sentence to me that day, I would have definitely entered that room with my phone recording. Later, I told everyone, 'He wanted me to do editing, and I didn't accept it. That's why I left the job.' As the issue became public, I slowly started to mention this situation to my close circle. Can a general manager send a message at 5 in the morning saying, 'They have hidden your figure behind the table, tell the director to get in front of the LED'? I write with shame, but he was not ashamed. I was wearing a skirt when he sent that message. That was the reason he wanted me to get in front of the LED."