22.09.2025 17:31
A scandalous caption was broadcast on TELE 1 comparing President Erdoğan with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Communication Director Burhanettin Duran stated, "This is an open insult to the presidential office," while AK Party spokesperson Ömer Çelik reacted by saying, "Any sentence that mentions our esteemed President alongside the murderer Netanyahu is despicable." TELE 1 later issued an apology message.
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A scandal was committed on the television channel TELE 1. During a program broadcast last night, a lower third displayed a comparison between President Erdoğan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The lower third related to Erdoğan broadcasted on TELE 1 caused reactions. STRONG REACTION TO THE SCANDAL LOWER THIRD Reactions to the television channel were swift. Minister of Communications Burhanettin Duran stated that this is an open insult, using the following expressions: "In a television channel, the lower third that compares our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is a defender of human values, with the perpetrator of massacres against civilians, Netanyahu, is a clear insult to the Presidential office and Turkey's foreign policy."
DURAN: OUR PRESIDENT HAS DEFENDED THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE ON EVERY PLATFORM Our President has been the strongest voice of international conscience in the face of the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza and has steadfastly defended the Palestinian cause on every platform. The lower third of the relevant channel is not only a disrespect to the highest office of the state but also an attempt to create a false perception contrary to the truth.
"TOO SERIOUS TO BE DISMISSED AS INDIVIDUAL IRRESPONSIBILITY" Moreover, this situation is too serious to be dismissed as individual irresponsibility. Such inappropriate initiatives will never overshadow our President's leadership, which resonates in the global conscience, and our country's resolute stance."
AK PARTY SPOKESPERSON ÇELİK: AN INSULT TO OUR NATION AK Party Spokesperson Ömer Çelik stated in his remarks: "We condemn the display of a sentence comparing our President with the murderer Netanyahu on a TV channel. Any sentence that places our President, the strong voice of humanity's alliance, alongside the murderer Netanyahu is despicable and an insult to our nation.
The relevant channel has apologized, and necessary actions should be taken for the apology. No one should doubt that we will fight against disrespect towards our President in the clearest way on legal and political grounds."
RTÜK CHAIRMAN ŞAHİN: THE ACCOUNT OF THIS DISRESPECT WILL BE ASKED WITH THE HARSHEST SANCTIONS RTÜK Chairman Ebubekir Şahin stated in his remarks: "To place our President, who is the protector of the oppressed and the conscience of humanity, alongside Netanyahu, the perpetrator of massacres against innocent people in Gaza, in the same lower third is immorality, insolence, and an open attack on the Republic of Turkey.
Our President has raised the strongest voice against the oppression in Gaza and has steadfastly defended the Palestinian cause on every platform. To present such a leader alongside a blood-stained murderer is a dirty provocation that tries to disguise itself under the guise of press freedom. This scandal cannot be explained as a simple mistake or irresponsibility. The account of this disrespect directed at the highest office of the state will be asked with the harshest sanctions.
As the Radio and Television Supreme Council, we will not allow any initiative targeting the dignity of our state and the honorable struggle that our President has maintained throughout his life. No one can overshadow Turkey's resolute foreign policy and our President's leadership, which resonates in the global conscience. This is respectfully announced to the public."
TELEVISION CHANNEL'S "APOLOGY" STATEMENT: A STATEMENT WE DEFINITELY DO NOT APPROVE TELE 1 also issued an apology statement. The statement indicated that the relevant lower third was mistakenly aired, and included the following expressions: "In the program 'Turkey's Direction' that aired on Tele1 last night (September 21, 2025), a statement that we definitely do not approve was used in the lower third, which we refer to as KJ in professional terminology, albeit for a short time (approximately one minute). While an evaluation regarding the Trump-Erdoğan meeting was to be made in the program, a comparison between Erdoğan and Netanyahu was included in the lower third.
"WE WILL TAKE NECESSARY DECISIONS" Although it is not a definitive statement, we do not find this sentence, which is open to misinterpretation, to be correct. We apologize for this mistake, which was made inadvertently by our production team. We would also like to state that we will take necessary decisions after conducting an administrative investigation. This is respectfully announced to the public."
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