The address of rating

Although the source of funding behind it is hidden, the main source of surprises and upheavals on Turkish TV channels is the Azerbaijani-invested Haber Global (News Global) channel.

This situation sometimes causes turmoil in the channel itself. (For example, at the end of January, after the speech of the former Chief of General Staff, General İlker Başbuğ, the next editor-in-chief of the channel also resigned). The last shock was created by Muharrem İnce, the candidate of the main opposition party in the 2018 presidential election.

Although İnce, who accepted the live broadcast, stipulated that the broadcast should not be interrupted and should not be connected to the President's speech, the channel of Azerbaijani origin (the owner is unknown) did not comply with this condition and closed Mr. Erdoğan’s speech. Muharrem İnce left the studio and criticized the channel and the President, and the dispute continued at the time this article was written.

The question is: what compels Azerbaijan to spend millions of dollars to create a TV channel in Turkey, invite opposition politicians and create turmoil, and sometimes pay a fine to the Supreme Council of Radio and Television of Turkey? Didn’t people tell you that if you are even interested in showing the opposition on the screen, why don't you go and do it in the country?

Although this question is still on the minds of those involved in journalism in Turkey, it will no longer be needed. Because Muharrem İnce's quit from Haber Global studio caused a major breakdown in the media in Turkey.

While İnce was trying to turn the break in his favor, Professor Fahrettin Altun, head of the presidential communications department, tried to blame İnce for the incident, but it worked against the government. Because while Muharrem İnce, who was the main opposition party's candidate in the last presidential election, aims to add a rating to his rating while remaining true to his traditional style, one of the people at the top of the department overlooked that the headache for the government is created by Ali Babacan, who has been Deputy Prime Minister for 13 consecutive years in Erdoğan's government, on the YouTube channel of a well-known journalist, not by Muharrem İnce on the TV channel opened with Azerbaijani money.

Yes, you did not read wrong, the interview of Ali Babacan, who resigned from the AKP, the party he founded, and formed a party (Democracy and Progress Party) last summer, with an experienced TV journalist Cüneyt Özdemir, who could not find a job in Turkey and moved to New York, on his YouTube channel is watched by 1.5 million people. Or the video dedicated to Babacan's dialogue with young people has 2 million views on YouTube.

A pro-government channel invites former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, who broke away from the AKP and founded the Future Party, in order to humiliate and insult him, attempts to insult are commented on YouTube channels, opinions are expressed, the number of viewers reaches millions.

Therefore, the attempt of Azerbaijan, whose media was killed, to gain a rating by building a million-dollar TV channel in Turkey is in vain. Because in the countries that protect the freedom of the press even at 5%, the trumpets of TV channels that cut off normal broadcasting and broadcast the speech of the head of the state no longer sound, they are not needed.

The area belongs to social media and YouTube channels. Being able to attract dynamic youth also paves the way to power to a large extent.

Turkey's current government has failed to catch up. Even if the owner is unknown, it is not worthwhile for a channel that is known to have been established with Azerbaijani money to broadcast in the classical form in Turkey. That is why it is unlikely that the AKP will go to the early elections at a time when social media and YouTube are leaving behind the classic channels. Because the difference between the latest opposition and the ruling party on social media is more than half. If the ruling party goes to the polls without reducing the difference, the result will be decided by social media and YouTube.

What function will the Azerbaijani channel of unknown financial origin perform? Will it be needed?

It is the time of the agencies and YouTube channels that can provide exclusive news and comments with lightning speed. Goodbye to the classic media...

Zəmanə ildırım sürətiylə  eksklüziv xəbər və şərhlər verə bilən agentliklərin və youtube kanallarınındır. Klassik mediaya əlvida...

Mayis Alizade