Erdal Aksünger, a member of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), has claimed that the party’s central executive board might decide in favor of a boycott decision prohibiting party members from appearing on the programs of CNN Türk, Deutsche Welle Turkish service reported.
Speaking to DW on Wednesday, Aksünger said the party’s voter base has been uneasy with the TV station’s editorial stance for a while, adding that he has been personally refused to appear on its programs for a month.
“This is not new. There was already a decision on media outlets who do not pursue impartial editorial policies,” he said.
CHP Vice Chairman Tuncay Özkan also recently criticized the station.
“There is no one representing the CHP’s views on a program that is currently being broadcast on CNN Türk, which is no longer any different than the [pro-government] A Haber,” Özkan tweeted on Saturday night.
The CHP will also report the station to CNN International, DW said.
In March 2019, the party’s US representative sent a letter to CNN International asking it to launch an inquiry into its Turkish franchise due to its violation of the basic principles of journalism.
The Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) sent a similar letter back in November 2016. CNN Türk was acquired in March 2018 by the pro-government Demirören Group as part of the purchase of the Doğan Media Group, the largest media company in Turkey.
Even prior to the sale, the station was under criticism for acting as a mouthpiece for the government.