Fears for Turkish press freedom grow as Erdogan ally moves to buy Hurriyet
One of Turkey’s few remaining independent media companies on Thursday announced plans to sell its newspapers and TV stations to a businessman close to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
In a statement to the Istanbul stock market, Dogan Holding revealed talks with Demiroren Holding for the US$890 million (Dh3.26 billion)sale of Turkey’s largest media group. Included in the transfer will be Hurriyet, Turkey’s best-selling newspaper, Dogan News Agency as well as CNN Turk and Kanal D TV stations.
The negotiations come amid heightened fears over press freedom in Turkey, which has jailed more than 150 journalists since an attempted coup in July 2016.
“We initiated the talks regarding the sale of all of our components that operate in print and visual media,” Dogan Holding said.
The sale comes ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for next year in which Mr Erdogan could tighten his grip on power.
The media arm of 82-year-old Aydin Dogan’s business empire has faced increased pressure since the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in 2002 and faced a record $2.5 billion tax fine in 2009 that many regarded as politically motivated.
The sale to Demiroren Holding, run by Erdogan Demiroren, 79, concentrates nearly all of Turkey’s media in the hands of presidential allies.
“Turkish mass media industry comes under the direct political control of President Erdogan,” Kadri Gursel, a prominent Turkish journalist who was released from prison last year, said on Twitter.
Others questioned the legality of the sale under competition law.
“This sale creates a monopoly and if the competition authority makes a correct and impartial decision it should not allow this sale,” said Ozgur Ozel, deputy chairman of the opposition Republican People’s Party.
He said that the deal was “not an unexpected development but a worrying development”.
Tuna Beklevic, a former AKP adviser who has declared that he will stand against Mr Erdogan in the presidential race, also voiced concerns about the transfer.
“The Turkish competition authority cannot legally give a green light to the sale of Dogan Media Group to the Demiroren Group,” he said.
“If approved, the authority would act against its own code and become a participant to a serious crime. The law is very clear and the sale should not be allowed.”
Dogan Media Group’s outlets have avoided antagonising the government in recent years, employing pro-government columnists alongside more independent writers.
CNN Turk was widely ridiculed in 2013 when it broadcast a documentary on penguins as the Gezi Park protests unfolded in Istanbul.
The group was forced to sell Milliyet and Vatan newspapers to Mr Demiroren, listed in 2011 by Forbes magazine as Turkey’s 45th richest person. His company has interests including energy, mining, real estate and manufacturing.
Mr Demiroren, who Turkish media reported has a foreign partner for the buy-out, is a regular visitor to Mr Erdogan’s palace. In 2014, a leaked tape featured a sobbing Mr Demiroren being chastised by Mr Erdogan over a news article on the Kurdish peace process.
Ankara has jailed more than 150 journalists since an attempted coup targeting Recep Tayyip Erdogan in July 2016