Politics · Turkey · 9 hrs ago
Erdoğan says Özgür Özel cannot lecture him on press freedom
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan criticized opposition leader Özgür Özel in a speech after a cabinet meeting.
Erdoğan said Özel had targeted broadcaster A Haber and that people who threaten media outlets cannot lecture him on press freedom.
The dispute comes amid arguments over media freedom and political speech in Turkey.
Erdoğan said he supports different voices in the media, while also saying that speech should not include insults, lies or disinformation.
He also criticized what he described as opposition calls for street protests and warned against turning political competition into hostility.
The two politicians’ public disagreement continues, but no further step or response is specified.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Özgür Özel could not lecture the government on press freedom after allegedly threatening media outlets and journalists.
Erdoğan made the remarks in an address following a Cabinet meeting.
He criticized what he described as opposition “war rhetoric” and said political competition should remain democratic.
Erdoğan said hundreds of television channels and thousands of radio stations broadcast freely in Türkiye, provided they do not include insults, lies or disinformation.
- Who
- President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Yeni Parti leader Özgür Özel.
- What
- Erdoğan said people who had openly threatened media outlets, journalists and television channels could not lecture the government on press freedom.
- When
- Erdoğan spoke after a Cabinet meeting; the article was published on 26 October 2026.
- Where
- Türkiye.
- Why
- Erdoğan was responding to Özel’s reported targeting of A Haber and criticizing what Erdoğan described as threats against media outlets.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Özgür Özel
Press freedom
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Erdoğan said those who had openly threatened media outlets and journalists could not lecture the government on press freedom.
Özgür Özel
The article reports that Özel targeted A Haber while invoking press freedom, but does not give his detailed argument.
Media threats
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Erdoğan said Özel had targeted and threatened television channels.
Özgür Özel
The article says Özel targeted A Haber, but does not include a response from him to Erdoğan’s accusation.
This story does not have a timeline yet.
- Speaker
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
- Person criticized
- Özgür Özel, identified by the article as Yeni Parti leader
- Media outlet
- A Haber
- Speech setting
- Address following a Cabinet meeting
- Article publication date
- 26 October 2026
2 sources
What people are saying
Those who openly threatened media organizations, journalists and television channels until just the other day cannot lecture us on press freedom.
Türkiye, thankfully, is a country where peace and calm prevail in every corner.
Hundreds of television channels and thousands of radio channels of every viewpoint broadcast freely in our country.