29.01.2025 15:30
After the detention of Barış Pehlivan, Seda Selek, and Serhan Asker, two more individuals were summoned to testify in the expert witness investigation. These individuals are Kürşad Oğuz, the Program Coordinator of Halk TV, who recorded the meeting with the expert witness brought to the agenda by İBB President Ekrem İmamoğlu, and Suat Toktaş, the General Editor who permitted the broadcast.
The press conference held by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu brought to the agenda a series of allegations regarding the expert, leading to an investigation in which journalists Barış Pehlivan, Seda Selek, and Serhan Asker were detained.
JUDICIAL CONTROL REQUESTED FOR 2 JOURNALISTS
Today, the prosecutor's office requested judicial control for Seda Selek and Serhan Asker, who were referred to the courthouse, while it was stated that no decision had yet been made for Barış Pehlivan.
2 MORE NAMES SUMMONED FOR TESTIMONY IN THE INVESTIGATION
At around 14:30, Halk TV Program Coordinator Kürşad Oğuz, who recorded the meeting with the expert, and the General Director Suat Toktaş, who allowed the broadcast of the footage, were summoned for testimony.
NOTABLE DETAILS IN THE STATEMENT FROM HALK TV
Following the start of detentions in the expert investigation, Halk TV made a statement. The statement included the following: "The person who recorded this meeting is not Barış Pehlivan. It is Halk TV Program Coordinator Kürşad Oğuz, who was present at the time. He recorded the source's statements as a journalistic reflex.
This is not a planned recording. When the news source was called, and it was understood that the person being sought was the correct name, the recording was initiated as a journalistic reflex. Immediately after the meeting, the statements were broadcast again as a journalistic reflex. The decision to broadcast was made by General Director Suat Toktaş."