A wave of resignations has swept through Halk TV, a broadcaster with close ties to the main opposition CHP, as prominent on-air personalities and editors publicly cited internal grievances as their reason for leaving.
The channel had already been roiled by unrest roughly a month ago, following moves to establish a rival broadcaster, Koza TV. That earlier crisis was brought into public view by journalist Vedat Yalvaç, who was dismissed from the channel. While management cited 'downsizing' as the reason for his termination, Yalvaç said the real cause was an internal message in which he had raised a series of complaints — among them inadequate pay raises and what he described as a vast disparity between the salaries of on-air talent and other staff.
Yalvaç's message drew widespread attention. The current crisis escalated on April 30, when anchor Seda Selek announced her departure from the channel, saying she had 'very legitimate reasons' for leaving.
Shortly after, anchor Sorel Dağıstanlı said, he too was leaving — having already been pulled off air after posting a message of support for Selek.
Their departures set off a cascade of resignations. Buket Güler, Remziye Demirkol and Gözde Şeker all announced they were leaving the channel. Şeker had said the day before her planned final broadcast, 'Tomorrow will be my last program on Halk TV' — but was not allowed to appear on air even for that farewell.
Halk TV owner Cafer Mahiroğlu responded to the departures with remarks that drew immediate backlash. 'The colleagues who left were earning what a scientist shaping our future, a life-saving doctor, or a professor educating our children earns,' he said.
Those who had resigned swiftly called on Mahiroğlu to publish their pay slips to substantiate his claims. He declined to do so.
The confederation of trade unions DİSK Basın-İş, meanwhile, issued a call to all guests and participants to boycott Halk TV broadcasts.
Mahiroğlu subsequently appeared on the channel's live broadcast and apologized for his initial remarks, acknowledging that Halk TV had long operated under what he described as economic isolation.
The resignations continued regardless. Gökmen Karadağ and the channel's news coordinator Fikret Bulut also announced their departures.
Mahiroğlu had suggested the departing staff would soon find work elsewhere, in what was widely read as an allusion to Koza TV. According to Medyaradar, however, only Buket Güler — not multiple former Halk TV names — has entered talks with the new channel.
