Following the appointment of a trustee to Halk TV, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the channel, Cafer Mahiroğlu, made a new statement on his social media account. Addressing journalists and press organizations, Mahiroğlu asked the board of trustees to answer questions regarding the financial activities of the channel.
Using the expressions "Halk TV is the channel of the people; its owner is the people", Mahiroğlu stated that the channel has derived its power from its viewers so far and said, "We have paid a high price, but we have never bowed down."
10 QUESTIONS TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
In his statement, Mahiroğlu called on journalists and asked for the disclosure of the total amount of invoices issued by Halk TV to municipalities, their monthly income and expenses, the commercial relations between their companies and the channel, and the capital transferred to Halk TV.
Mahiroğlu also called for the cash and receivable amounts in the channel's bank accounts, advertising revenues and the MASAK report to be shared with the public.
"THE ISSUE IS NOT CAFER MAHIROĞLU"
Mahiroğlu used the following statements in his post:
"Halk TV is the people's channel; its owner is the people. Until today, we have done journalism by taking our power from the people. We have paid a high price, but we have never bowed down! In order to inform the public correctly, I am calling out to all journalists and all stakeholders of the press.
The issue is not Cafer Mahiroğlu; It is an operation carried out against the boss of a media organ that cannot be brought to his knees. Therefore, in order to enlighten the public, could you ask the following questions to the board of trustees?
How many lira did Halk TV invoice the municipalities in total?
What are Halk TV's total monthly bill amounts and total turnover for each year in the same period?
To which companies and in what amounts were these invoices issued?
Have any invoices been issued to Halk TV from Cafer Mahiroğlu's personal companies or to these companies from Halk TV? If so, for what service and for what amount?
What is Halk TV's total monthly expense? What is the ratio of the revenues obtained from municipalities to covering these expenses? Is there financial data supporting the claim that "Halk TV survived thanks to the municipalities"?
How much capital has Cafer Mahiroğlu invested in Halk TV?
What amount and for what purposes were money transferred between Cafer Mahiroğlu's personal accounts and the companies?
How much financial support has been provided regularly or intermittently from other companies to keep Halk TV afloat?
Has there been any money flow from the company called Bustech to Halk TV? If so, on what dates, in what amounts and for what purpose? Can you make the MASAK report on this issue public?
"What is the total cash amount in Halk TV's bank accounts and the total amount in the receivables list waiting to be collected?"
Mahiroğlu completed his statement with the call: "Announce the answers to these questions to the public along with their documents."
WHAT HAPPENED?
Within the scope of the investigation initiated by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against Halk TV Chairman Cafer Mahiroğlu on charges of "bribery", "tender rigging" and "laundering of criminal assets", a police operation was carried out on Halk TV's headquarters building on October 14.
While SDIF was appointed as trustee to the channel and companies affiliated with Mahiroğlu, the channel's broadcasts were stopped. While four of the suspects detained within the scope of the investigation were arrested, Mahiroğlu reacted to the trustee's decision by rejecting the accusations against him.
