Turkish newspaper Hürriyet sparks criticism for 'disinformation' on President Erdoğan's comments
by Daily Sabah
ISTANBULSep 07, 2015 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by Daily Sabah
Sep 07, 2015 12:00 am
Hürriyet daily, a Turkish newspaper affiliated with Doğan Media Group, came under fire by many media institutions and Twitter users, after it misinformed its followers with a tweet stating that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had said "We would not have these problems right now, if we had acquired 400 deputies in Parliament " referring to Sunday's PKK attack which killed many Turkish soldiers.
Hürriyet quickly deleted the 'misunderstood' tweet and changed the headline of its news piece after receiving such backlash and getting criticized for violating media ethics.
Several other media institutions, including those affiliated with the Gülen Movement, have joined Hürriyet in its coverage of Erdoğan's comments.
Erdoğan said that he found the tweet and news 'immoral' and 'manipulative'.
He stated that his comment, which was broadcast live on A Haber Turkish news channel during an interview with Melih Altınok, was about the upcoming elections and the new constitution.
The President initially talked about PKK's late Sunday landmine attack in the beginning of the interview, in which he condemned the treacherous assault and expressed his sorrow for all the killed soldiers. Subsequently, Erdoğan answered a question regarding '400 deputies' needed for a change in the constitution in the live Q&A.
Meanwhile, Hürriyet was protested on late Sunday by some 200 people in front of the newspaper's building in Istanbul. One of the protestors, Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Youth Branch Chairman and Istanbul Deputy, Abdurrahim Boynukalın, said a smear campaign against Erdoğan is being conducted by both the Doğan Media Group and Gülen Movement-affiliated media outlets since the June 7 general elections. "We are here for this. There is not just a party organization, but a reaction of the people here. A reaction against the report happened here," he said. Some protesters hurled stones at the building's gates and tried to break in but was stopped by private security, and later dispersed by security forces.
Previously, just before the June 7 elections, Doğan News Agency (DHA) shared a tweet that said "Give your vote to the Peoples' Democratic Party [HDP]." Later, the DHA announced that its Twitter account was hacked and said: "We kindly request [you] disregard the messages shared out of our control."
PKK terrorists targeted Turkish soldiers in a landmine attack late Sunday in the town of Dağlıca of Turkey's eastern Hakkari province, reportedly killing 16 soldiers and wounding others, although an official statement regarding the casualties have not yet been released.
The incident took place on a road in the town of Dağlıca on Sunday evening, as two armored vehicles belonging to Turkish military were crossing.
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