6 journalists summoned over İmamoğlu reports as part of corruption probe

ISTANBUL

Six leading journalists were summoned to testify to police on Nov. 6 in connection with allegations that they disseminated false information in reports about Istanbul’s imprisoned mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and a corruption case targeting the municipality.

The chief prosecutor’s office in Istanbul said police were instructed to take the journalists’ statements as part of an investigation into the “İmamoğlu criminal organization for profit.”

The office identified the journalists as Soner Yalçın, Şaban Sevinç, Aslı Aydıntaşbaş, Ruşen Çakır, Yavuz Oğhan and Batuhan Çolak. Oğhan also served as the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s communications coordinator.

A statement by prosecutors said the journalists were questioned “on charges of publicly disseminating false information and aiding a criminal organization.”

In their reports, they questioned the cases against İmamoğlu, saying that many are politically motivated – a claim the government rejects, noting that the courts are acting independently.

Some media outlets reported that the prosecutors investigated a claim that the journalists are connected to a municipal subsidiary responsible for media affairs and PR.

The prosecution believes, based on the testimony of a secret witness, that the journalists received money from the municipal company in exchange for writing against the investigations targeting İmamoğlu, reports said.

The deputy chairman of the CHP, Burhanettin Bulut, said police arrived at the journalists’ homes in the early morning and confiscated their phones.

İmamoğlu and dozens of officials from the Istanbul Municipality were imprionsed in March over corruption allegations.

The corruption case is one of numerous criminal cases against Imamoglu that could see him sentenced to prison and banned from political activity. Another case against him, launched on Oct. 27, alleges espionage.