"Those who tell the truth are targeted by the government"
TELE1 Editor-in-Chief Merdan Yanardağ was detained in an operation this morning. Yanardağ's home and office were searched. Politicians reacted strongly to Yanardağ's detention.
"TRUTH CANNOT BE ARRESTED"CHP Şanlıurfa Deputy Mahmut Tanal, in his post, pointed out that detention prevents the public from accessing news, and said:
Merdan Yanardağ is no spy. Journalism is not a crime, and informing the public cannot be considered "espionage." This detention is not directed at a single individual, but at freedom of the press, the right to expression, and the public's right to access accurate news. Everyone who criticizes, questions, and writes the truth is a target. This situation is not a state of law, but a reflection of a regime of fear. The press cannot be silenced. The truth cannot be arrested. Those who condemn society to darkness should be prosecuted, not journalists. We stand with everyone who speaks for justice, freedom, and democracy.
CHP Deputy Group Chairman Gökhan Günaydın commented on the operation in a post, saying, "No one should attempt to manipulate the country through this irrationality. Judicial activities should be conducted on the principles of impartiality and independence written in the Constitution."
Günaydın's post is as follows:
* Detain and arrest the person you arrested on July 4, 2025, on charges of espionage, and declare him Necati Özkan's hierarchical superior, * Link Ekrem İmamoğlu through Necati Özkan, and make an illogical statement such as "There was an activity to manipulate the elections in 2019 local elections in collaboration with foreign intelligence services," * Declare Merdan Yanardağ the head of the media arm of the espionage organization,
* Please add to your post that the data collected through the Istanbul Senin application is sent abroad.
All of them defy reason, all of them defy imagination. Now let's ask: 1- Who had the data in March 2019? Those who control the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM), or those who entered the presidential race from outside? 2- Who was affiliated with the Anadolu Agency (AA), which manipulated the elections, which İmamoğlu won by a 13,000-seat margin, and halted the flow of data? 3- Who were those who, even though they knew they had lost the elections, adorned the streets of Istanbul with pre-prepared posters proclaiming "voluntary municipality won"? 4- What were those who claimed, "Even if nothing happened, something happened," and who annulled the elections and reclaimed the mandate, claiming they "stole" what they were manipulating? 5- Setting aside the irrationality of accusing an anti-imperialist opposition journalist like Merdan Yanardağ of espionage, if you define yourself as having the power to influence elections, what do you say about the influence of pro-government and embedded media power on elections? 6- After the March 2019 elections, who appointed the governor of Istanbul as a trustee to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and who held all the power and data in their hands?
7- In this context, what kind of an eclipse of reason is it to attribute the heavy slap in the face given by the citizens to those who attempted to rig the ballot boxes in the June 2019 elections to “foreign intelligence services”?
Whichever way you look at it, it's inconsistent, whichever way you look at it, it's irrational.
No one should attempt to manipulate the country through this irrationality, and judicial activities should be conducted on the principles of impartiality and independence written in the Constitution.
CHP Deputy Chairman Ulaş Karasu shared a post on social media: "Anyone who criticizes, questions, writes, or tells the truth is a target of the government! This is not a reflection of the rule of law, but rather a reflection of the regime of fear they want to create. Truth cannot be silenced by attacks on democracy and freedom of expression."
CHP Deputy Chairman Burhanettin Bulut also shared a post saying, "We are faced with the spectacle of a country that has lost its sense of reality."
Bulut's post is as follows:
We are faced with a country that has lost its sense of reality. An investigation has been launched against our presidential candidate, Ekrem İmamoğlu, on charges of "espionage." Tele 1 Editor-in-Chief Merdan Yanardağ was also detained on the same grounds. On one hand, a mayor elected by popular vote, and on the other, a member of the press performing their duties as a journalist… In this country, criticizing and winning elections have become considered "crimes," reporting news is "treason," and thinking has become "espionage." We are experiencing the tragedy of a country governed by paranoia rather than confronting the facts.
CHP Deputy Chair Aylin Nazlıaka stated in a post that the accusations were a travesty of reason, saying, "Launching an investigation against our Presidential Candidate and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and Tele1 TV Editor-in-Chief Merdan Yanardağ on charges of 'espionage' is a complete travesty of reason. Patriotic people don't become spies! Journalism is not a crime."
CHP Deputy Group Chairman Murat Emir, in his post about the operation, said, "Let's put it bluntly: the government has now moved on to making seizing power a crime."
Emir's post is as follows:
A presidential candidate elected four times by popular vote, a journalist who paid the price for the public's right to receive news, and a political communicator who enabled that candidate to connect with the public...
Ekrem İmamoğlu, Merdan Yanardağ and Necati Özkan are mentioned in the same file on charges of "espionage."
Let's put it bluntly: the government has now moved to the point of criminalizing the seizure of power. It's trying to portray the ballot box as a threat, the election as a coup, and a "plan to seize" the popular will.
This is an operation to push democracy out of the regime. The government declares itself "unchangeable" while coding its alternative as "dangerous."
And this is the final stage of authoritarianism.
"THEY FINALLY TRIED TO SAY 'SPY' TO SAY 'SILENCE'"Former CHP MP Mustafa Balbay also shared the following in his post: "They finally tried to call Merdan Yanardağ a 'spy' just to tell him to 'shut up'! Journalism is not a crime!"
Source: NEWS CENTER
Tele1
