FLASH
Shkruar nga PamfletiAccording to Hurryiet, the arrested station's general news director is accused of spying for the detained Istanbul mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, and foreign services.
An operation at the offices of the opposition television station TELE1 in Turkey was carried out on Friday morning by a team of the Counter-Terrorism Service following a court order.
The raid lasted about an hour and the station's general news director, Merdan Yanardag, was arrested.
Journalist Göhan Kayış, host of the morning show on TELE1, broadcast the operation live, informing viewers that police teams had been at the station since the early hours of the morning. He said that around 50 TEM members took part in the operation.
Kayış said he asked the team leader if Merdan Yanardag had been informed about the operation and he replied: “You can’t contact him.”
The journalist added that, based on this response, he assumed that Yanardag had already been taken into custody.
Shortly afterwards, the Prosecutor's Office officially announced that TELE1's general news director, Merdan Yanardag, was arrested this morning as part of the operation. According to Hurryiet, the arrested person is accused of spying for the detained Istanbul mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, and foreign services.
The same sources emphasize that the police are seeking evidence that Imamoglu, together with the news director of TELE1 and in cooperation with foreign agencies, tried to change the data of the 2019 local elections.
Yanardag's lawyer, Bilgütay Haki Durna, speaking to TELE1, said that he has not been informed about the case file so far.
"I have only seen the announcement from the Prosecutor's Office. Unfortunately, in our country, serious accusations are often made without sufficient evidence and people are deprived of their freedom without basis. I will go to the police station to have access to the file," he said.
Durna also emphasized that "it is impossible to question the patriotic identity of Merdan Yanardag" and added:
“In our country, people are forced to prove they are not guilty.” In conclusion, he noted that he spoke with the journalist’s family after the investigation was completed. “His family, like him, remains calm and dignified. They were prepared for such a possibility because of his work. They are morally strong and we will continue together in the legal process,” he said.
Gökhan Kayış: "11. Asliye Ceza Mahkemesi'nin arama emriyle TEM ekipleri TELE1 TV'de arama yapılıyor." pic.twitter.com/6G6v0oUDtk
— Tele1 TV (@tele1comtr) October 24, 2025
Suspected relationship with Imamoglu
Prosecutors alleged that journalist Yanardağ organized the media strategy for İmamoğlu's campaign in 2019, citing communication between Gün and Yanardağ and witness testimonies.
The encrypted communications also allegedly included Gün's instructions to Özkan, İmamoğlu's campaign director, such as "urgent activation of 70,000 volunteers."
It was not specified when this communication took place.
Gün is also accused of involvement in Imamoglu's presidential candidacy campaign.
Before his arrest in March, İmamoğlu was preparing to run as the sole candidate in his Republican People's Party's (CHP) presidential primaries for the upcoming elections, scheduled for 2028. The CHP went ahead with the primaries despite İmamoğlu's arrest and the revocation of his university degree, a requirement for presidential candidates under Turkish law, and nominated him as its candidate for the presidency.
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