This is a lie: Aydın Doğan
There is a confessor that has been discovered by the pro-governmental media at the start of the war between the government and the “cemaat.” His name is Latif Erdoğan.
Who is he? This is a person who served Fettullah Gülen for more than 40 years; has written books praising Gülen; made it up in the cemaat to become “the second man,” but yet someone who parted his way, breaking up from “cemaat.”
When the fight erupted between the government and the cemaat … the pro-government media discovered this Erdoğan. What happened for the past six years is this: Erdoğan talks about the cemaat and pro-government media carries his statements to the headlines. We all know that the rosy period was to continue between the government and cemaat, not one single line of his words would have been seen as newsworthy. When the war broke out, Erdoğan became very valuable. This cooperation continues at full speed. For instance; someone like Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu is named as a presidential candidate; the pro-government media calls on the “confessor,” and together they scheme up a plot.
Latif Erdoğan voices complete rubbish: “İhsanoğlu is not a person to be found by the CHP [Republican People’s Party] and the MHP [Nationalist Movement Party]. I know he is supported by Aydın Doğan and Pennsylvania [where Gülen resides]. This is rather a project of Pennsylvania. The proposal most probably came from intermediate people, not directly from Gülen. Had it come directly from Gülen, İhsanoğlu would not have accepted it. Because I know İhsanoğlu does not attach much importance to Gülen.” These words become a headline for pro-government media: “İhsanoğlu is a project of Pennsylvania.”
No one is asking the newspaper:
“Where is your evidence? Who are these middle men? If you say you know them, why aren’t you telling who they are? What keeps you from disclosing them? Or else are there no such people and you are just lying? Do you have any document proving Aydın Doğan is involved? Let even a document, do you have anything in your hands with which you can base your claim?”
When I asked Doğan, this is what he said:
“I have known İhsanoğlu for many years. I have been to his house. He is among the prominent people in Turkey. He has represented our country in the international community in a very successful way. I, therefore, have not found his candidacy for presidency odd.
But how could his candidacy be related to me? This is a big lie. This is a huge smear campaign. Those telling this lie are doing great injustice to both me and to him. This has always been like that since the past. Whenever someone comes forward in society, there are efforts to wear that person, saying “this is a project of the media.”
We perform independent publishing. We have people in our newspapers who are completely against his candidacy as well as those who support it. If İhsanoğlu was my project, would that be case?
What business can I have or what relationship can I have with Gülen and the cemaat? They tell lies and want everybody believe them. How can I answer to such nonsense?
Those who are telling these lies are smearing our names because they cannot compete with us in the publishing sector. They try to cover their failure in the sector by using politics. It is clear that they are dreaming of creating hostility about me and my group with the politicians and civil bureaucracy. But these games won’t work. I trust this country’s political wisdom, as well as its justice. It is apparent that these smear campaigns will continue throughout the presidential elections. You asked; I answered. But I do not have the intention of giving answers again, because politics are not my affair and I don’t want to be a subject involved with politics.
