Turkish TV host targeted in social media after trying to moderate discussion
Social media campaigns against the opposition in Turkey have been recently focused exclusively on targeting a crucial meeting between presidential candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), and the pro-Kurdish opposition.
Kilicdaroglu, the candidate of a six-party opposition bloc, and the co-chairs of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) mutually stressed after the meeting on Monday that they were in favor of working out solutions to the Kurdish question through democratic processes in the Turkish Grand National Assembly.
Kilicdaroglu emphasized the importance of an independent and impartial judiciary, and also said that they will end the current policy of removing elected mayors on orders by the interior ministry, who removed 88 percent of elected HDP mayors in recent years.
In a major social media campaign, a discussion moderator was targeted because she tried to intervene in a quarrel between the guests during a live discussion show.
????“Kılıçdaroğlu HDP ve PKK’nın adayıdır” diyen AKP'li kamuoyu araştırmacısı Hilmi Daşdemir, Kübra Par’ın müdahalesinin ardından canlı yayını terk etti: ''Bunlar gerçek! Yayını terk ediyorum!'' pic.twitter.com/uyBQCuUDDt
— 23 DERECE (@yirmiucderece) March 20, 2023
Kubra Par, the host of the show on broadcaster Haberturk, tried to intervene after a spat broke out when one of the guests Hilmi Dasdemir, a pollster and a supporter of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), told CHP official Muslim Sari: "Kilicdaroglu, your candidate who has backed terror, is the candidate of PKK [the Kurdistan Workers' Party, designated a "terrorist group" by Ankara] and HDP."
Par addressed Dasdemir saying: "Calm down, please be quiet and listen to me, your opinion concerning HDP's relationship with PKK is in the scope of freedom of expression, and I'm providing you space as much as you want so that you can express your opinion."
As Dasdemir went on repeating over an over, "These are the facts!" Par tried to intervene again: "Will you please listen to me? Please, I'm expecting a little respect at least."
Her words were interrupted as Dasdemir suddenly rose from his seat and left the show.
After the show, a Twitter account with over 180,000 followers said: "Haberturk: The official media of CHP"
Misvak Caps with 332,000 followers said: "Kubra Par who wore herself out to whitewash HDP!"
An account with 136,000 followers said:
"Kubra Par, ahead of CHP, HDP and Qandil, springs to respond to Hilmi Dasdemir who said 'Kilicdaroglu is the candidate of HDP and PKK.'"
Another account:
"Haberturk's loser and biased host Kubra Par is like a ticking bomb."
