[VIDEO] Pro-gov’t columnist says he can instruct Doğan media boss to fire all critical Hürriyet journalists

Pro-government Star daily columnist Cem Küçük targeted journalists at the Hürriyet newspaper as well as the Doğan media group on Friday, saying that he can instruct Aydın Doğan, the founder of the Doğan media group, which also owns Hürriyet, to fire all journalists who are critical of the government.

Speaking during a program on the pro-government Beyaz TV on Friday, Küçük threatened Hürriyet columnist Ertuğrul Özkök with dismissal and imprisonment, giving examples of other former Doğan media journalists.

“If you combine all the Hürriyet [journalists], your power is just like my little finger. I will instruct Aydın Doğan, and he will do the necessary [to fire them]. Who are you [Ertuğrul Özkök]? Look. Where are Tolga Tanış, Nazlı Ilıcak, Bülent Mumay, Eyüp Can, I am asking. Is ByLock İsmail [Saymaz] able to appear on TV programs? Just go and write something critical against the government like in the old days. They are not able to write a single critical story,” he said.

Underlining that Hürriyet journalists cannot say a single critical word against the government now, Küçük said he would instruct Doğan to fire those who dare to do that.

“I have them wrapped around my little finger. I play with them like a cat plays with a mouse,” he said.

Cem Küçük, a staunchly pro-government journalist and supporter of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and also known for his attacks on government critics on social media, has also targeted critical journalists.

During a TV show in March Küçük attacked Korkusuz daily columnist Can Ataklı for comments criticizing Erdoğan and said he could finish off his career in five minutes.