CHP deputies raid TRT building, insult chairman
A group of deputies from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) on Monday raided the room of state-run broadcaster Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) Chairman Şenol Göka on the pretext the Republic of Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was insulted on a program.
In the incident, CHP Group Deputy Chairman Levent Gök and others came to the TRT building without prior notice and entered Göka's office without being invited, insulting him in front of cameras with claims that the CHP and Atatürk were insulted on a program broadcasted in TRT Türk.
Throwing the files he was holding to the table, Gök said: "We do not accept you and you cannot be chairman of this institution."
The incident happened two days after Working Journalists' Day, which is celebrated annually to mark Law No. 212 passed on Jan. 10, 1961 to protect journalists' rights.
Following the event, the Media Association released a statement condemning Gök's attitude, saying that being an elected deputy does not give him the right to offend and insult individuals within society. "As the Media Association, we condemn CHP deputy Levent Gök's attack against our board member TRT Chairman Şenol Göka on Tuesday Jan. 11, 2016," the statement said.
Indicating that there are plenty of platforms in which one can voice their criticism of the institution, including Parliament, the statement continued: "Despite having all these opportunities, Levent Gök preferred to ‘raid' TRT, throwing files, clamoring and browbeating. The reasons for all the regrettable and unfortunate images stem from the deputy himself, who turned the event into a show."
This incident resembles in tone statements from CHP Secretary-General Gürsel Tekin in which during a press conference in İzmir in February he threatened to seize critical newspapers after the party attains victory in the then still upcoming June 7 elections.
Tekin claimed there is a campaign against the CHP and threatened media outlets, saying: "On June 8 and June 9, our first job is to seize these filthy newspapers. We will not only seize them, we will ask for the accounts of all the businessmen who are involved with them."
In the incident, CHP Group Deputy Chairman Levent Gök and others came to the TRT building without prior notice and entered Göka's office without being invited, insulting him in front of cameras with claims that the CHP and Atatürk were insulted on a program broadcasted in TRT Türk.
Throwing the files he was holding to the table, Gök said: "We do not accept you and you cannot be chairman of this institution."
The incident happened two days after Working Journalists' Day, which is celebrated annually to mark Law No. 212 passed on Jan. 10, 1961 to protect journalists' rights.
Following the event, the Media Association released a statement condemning Gök's attitude, saying that being an elected deputy does not give him the right to offend and insult individuals within society. "As the Media Association, we condemn CHP deputy Levent Gök's attack against our board member TRT Chairman Şenol Göka on Tuesday Jan. 11, 2016," the statement said.
Indicating that there are plenty of platforms in which one can voice their criticism of the institution, including Parliament, the statement continued: "Despite having all these opportunities, Levent Gök preferred to ‘raid' TRT, throwing files, clamoring and browbeating. The reasons for all the regrettable and unfortunate images stem from the deputy himself, who turned the event into a show."
This incident resembles in tone statements from CHP Secretary-General Gürsel Tekin in which during a press conference in İzmir in February he threatened to seize critical newspapers after the party attains victory in the then still upcoming June 7 elections.
Tekin claimed there is a campaign against the CHP and threatened media outlets, saying: "On June 8 and June 9, our first job is to seize these filthy newspapers. We will not only seize them, we will ask for the accounts of all the businessmen who are involved with them."
Last Update: January 12, 2016 20:47