Nalin Öztekin
Halk TV’s responsible editor Serhan Asker, who was detained alongside journalists Barış Pehlivan and Seda Selek as part of an investigation into an expert witness case, stated in his police testimony that he had no prior knowledge of the incident. "I was officially on leave that day. I only learned about what happened later when Halk TV’s editor-in-chief, Suat Toktaş, informed me," he told Ankara police.
Pehlivan and Selek were detained in Istanbul, while Asker was taken into custody in Ankara. The journalists were investigated for broadcasting a conversation between Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and an expert witness, whose name İmamoğlu disclosed during a press conference titled "The Big Reveal." The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office accused them of "recording private conversations" and "attempting to influence an expert witness or a witness."
‘I was not involved in the broadcast’
Asker gave his initial statement at Ankara Police Department’s Public Order Bureau in the presence of his lawyers. He was asked whether he was a member of a trade union, political party, or civil society organization, and whether he had any prior legal proceedings against him. Authorities also requested information on who recorded the audio in question and when it was made.
In response, Asker clarified that he had no involvement in the broadcast, explaining that he has been hosting programs outside of Ankara on weekends for the past five years and spends his days off in the capital. "I was on leave on the day of the incident and had no knowledge of it. Decisions regarding Monday’s programming are the responsibility of Halk TV’s Istanbul news center, which oversees general editorial, intelligence, news, and current affairs programs. That day, I was officially on leave and was not working," he stated.
When asked how he became aware of the audio recording, Asker replied, "I was informed by Suat Toktaş, the editor-in-chief of Halk TV’s news center in Istanbul. He called me and explained what had happened, as well as the fact that an investigation had been launched."
