Erdogan fumes at reporter over question on Turkish troops killed in Libya
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan slammed a reporter in a news conference for asking a question about a previous remark he made regarding Turkish troops killed in Libya on Tuesday.
Baris Kaya from the national broadcaster FOX TV asked Erdogan his opinion about the criticism from the opposition about his statement he made on Friday. President said that there were “a few Turkish martyrs,” in Libya conflict while conceding the presence of Syrian fighters involved in the civil war.
“Firstly, FOX should become a serious media outlet,” Erdogan retorted and carried on, “Stop producing fake news.”
Reporter reprimanded
FOX TV reporter Baris Kaya asks: "The opposition criticizes why the names, positions of martyrs in Libya are not announced, why no ceremony held?"#Erdogan: "Firstly, FOX should become a serious media outlet. You have to learn this before all. Stop fake news" https://t.co/HAOgLnKWli— Solidarity with OTHERS (@OthersInfo) February 25, 2020
On Tuesday, the main opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu lashed out at Erdogan for using the quantifier “a few,” while referring to the number of Turkish soldiers killed in Libya, accusing him of belittling the sacrifices of troops.
Erdogan’s government also became the target of harsh criticism over a lack of transparency regarding the killed troops in Libya. Contrary to the due process, no ceremonies were held, and the authorities have not officially disclosed the names and ranks of the dead soldiers.
Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranked Turkey 157 out of 180 countries in its 2019 annual World Press Freedom Index.
“After the elimination of dozens of media outlets and the acquisition of Turkey’s biggest media group by a pro-government conglomerate, the authorities are tightening the vice on what little is left of pluralism – a handful of media outlets that are being harassed and marginalized,” the RSF report read.