ISTANBUL: A Turkish prosecutor on Friday launched an investigation into a prominent TV news presenter less than two weeks after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lambasted the journalist, local media reported.
The prosecutor’s office said it was investigating Turkey’s Fox Haber channel’s Fatih Portakal for “openly inciting others to commit a crime” after the journalist speculated whether Turks could protest like those in the “Yellow Vest” movement in France, Hurriyet and Milliyet dailies said.
“Come on, let’s have a peaceful protest, a protest against ... rising natural gas fees. Come on, let’s do it. Would we be able to do it?” the journalist who has over six million followers on Twitter asked.
“For the love of God, tell me how many people would come out?” Portakal demanded as he speculated about the impact of Turks’ fears of protesting in a news program on December 10.
During anti-government protests in 2013, Erdogan was criticized for the police’s heavy-handed crackdown against demonstrators.
Portakal’s comments were interpreted by Turkish officials as a call for protests as the country is suffering high inflation. Consumer prices reached over 25 percent in October before falling to 21.62 percent in November.
Portakal had made the comments during a news segment about France’s “yellow vest” movement, which started as a demonstration against fuel price hikes in November but has since snowballed into broader anti-government opposition.
Erdogan has repeatedly criticized the journalist for his comments, saying in mid-December: “He is calling people to get out on the street. Know your place! If you don’t know your place, the people will teach you a lesson.”
Earlier this week, Turkey’s audiovisual authority RTUK fined Fox Haber Turkey for an undisclosed amount and said the channel had to suspend three future broadcasts of the primetime news show.
Fox Haber Turkey gives greater coverage to the opposition parties than other mainstream channels in an increasingly constricted media landscape in Turkey under the rule of Erdogan.
Fox Haber, which means Fox News in Turkish, is not linked to the Fox News Channel in the United States.
The investigation comes after two famous Turkish actors were accused of insulting Erdogan during a television program on Halk TV last week.
An Istanbul court on Monday released the two men on conditional bail after they were summoned to give statements to prosecutors.
Turkey’s allies and human rights defenders have raised concerns over a clampdown on freedom of expression under Erdogan, with dozens of journalists and civil society activists imprisoned.
Turkey probes prominent TV anchor
Turkey probes prominent TV anchor
- Turkey’s Fox Haber channel’s Fatih Portakal is being investigated for “openly inciting others to commit a crime”
- The investigation comes after two famous Turkish actors were accused of insulting Erdogan during a television program on Halk TV last week
Paris exhibition marks 200 years of Le Figaro and the enduring power of the press
- The exhibition celebrated the bicentennial of Le Figaro, offering visitors a rare opportunity to step inside the newspaper’s vast historical archive
PARIS: One of France’s most influential newspapers marked a major milestone this month with a landmark exhibition beneath the soaring glass nave of the Grand Palais, tracing two centuries of journalism, literature and political debate.
Titled 1826–2026: 200 years of freedom, the exhibition celebrated the bicentennial of Le Figaro, offering visitors a rare opportunity to step inside the newspaper’s vast historical archive. Held over three days in mid-January, the free exhibition drew large crowds eager to explore how the title has both chronicled and shaped modern French history.
More than 300 original items were displayed, including historic front pages, photographs, illustrations and handwritten manuscripts. Together, they charted Le Figaro’s evolution from a 19th-century satirical publication into a leading national daily, reflecting eras of revolution, war, cultural change and technological disruption.
The exhibition unfolded across a series of thematic spaces, guiding visitors through defining moments in the paper’s past — from its literary golden age to its role in political debate and its transition into the digital era. Particular attention was paid to the newspaper’s long association with prominent writers and intellectuals, underscoring the close relationship between journalism and cultural life in France.
Beyond the displays, the program extended into live journalism. Public editorial meetings, panel discussions and film screenings invited audiences to engage directly with editors, writers and media figures, turning the exhibition into a forum for debate about the future of the press and freedom of expression.
Hosted at the Grand Palais, the setting itself reinforced the exhibition’s ambition: to place journalism firmly within the country’s cultural heritage. While the exhibition has now concluded, the bicentennial celebrations continue through special publications and broadcasts, reaffirming Le Figaro’s place in France’s public life — and the enduring relevance of a free and questioning press in an age of rapid change.
