A damning revelation has exposed the shameful state of Turkish journalism, as reporters accompanying President Erdoğan on his return flight from Washington were caught using pre-scripted questions in what was presented as a spontaneous press interaction. The scandal unveils a troubling collusion between the Presidential Communications Directorate and supposedly independent journalists.
Veteran journalist Hasan Cemal, writing for T24, expressed his dismay at the revelation, stating he “never imagined journalism could sink to such depths” in his 56-year career. Cemal emphasized that “journalism exists through asking questions” and called this incident a betrayal of the profession’s core principles, noting that even during military coups and previous administrations, journalists maintained their integrity by asking tough, unscripted questions.
The scandal was uncovered when Media Ombudsman Faruk Bildirici received the exact list of questions—complete with reporters’ names—hours before they were supposedly asked spontaneously on the presidential plane. Bildirici, who received the questions at 22:10 Turkish time while the plane was still preparing for takeoff, shared them with trusted journalist colleagues as witnesses before the “interview” was published.
Most disturbingly, all participating journalists released their “exclusive” content simultaneously at 13:00, following what has become an unwritten rule of synchronized publication. This coordinated release pattern further confirms the staged nature of these interactions.
Journalist Murat Yetkin called the incident a “media scandal,” while Bildirici wished he could have found a notary at that late hour to officially document the pre-scripted questions.
This revelation represents more than mere journalistic malpractice—it exposes a systematic erosion of press independence in Turkey, where reporters have been reduced to mere stenographers, abandoning their watchdog role for privileged access to power.
Photo: T24