Justice minister backs probe into Halk TV journalists
ANKARA
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Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç has defended the investigation into three journalists from private broadcaster Halk TV who were detained over the broadcast of a phone conversation, asserting that they had committed a crime.
"Journalists do not have immunity. The prosecutor’s office steps in when a crime is committed,” Tunç told reporters at parliament on Jan. 29.
Prosecutors launched the investigation after Halk TV aired a phone conversation between its journalist Barış Pehlivan and Satılmış Büyükcanayakın, who is alleged to have been assigned to investigations into municipalities run by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) as an expert.
Along with Pehlivan, Halk TV’s managing director Serhan Asker and presenter Seda Selek were detained. The trio was referred to court on Jan. 29.
"No one is detained for journalistic activity," Tunç said. "If you broadcast a conversation without the consent of the other party, the Turkish Penal Code defines this as a crime."
The journalists are under investigation for "attempting to influence an expert" and "listening in on and recording conversations between individuals."
It was İmamoğlu who raised the allegations about Büyükcanayakın during a press briefing on Jan. 27. He also accused him of submitting fabricated reports to court.
Istanbul prosecutors have launched a separate investigation into İmamoğlu over these remarks, accusing him of “publicly targeting the expert” to influence ongoing legal proceedings. Reacting to the probe, İmamoğlu took to X, calling it “the height of censorship.”
The detentions of journalists have drawn criticism from opposition parties, with CHP leader Özgür Özel addressing the case in a live broadcast on Halk TV.
“I call on our nation to stand up and unite… against these bullies,” he said.