A report by journalist Ebru Çelik of BirGün, who followed the story in person based on a tip and witnessed the events firsthand, proved that extras were gathered to act as supporters for a CHP party meeting for 950 lira (roughly $20) each. The story laid bare a case of manipulation between media and politics.
Gürsel Tekin, appointed by the court as the CHP's Istanbul provincial chair — a party previously known for its stance against pressure on journalists — personally filed a criminal complaint against the journalists, accusing them of setting a trap against the party in favor of the Yeni Party. Journalists from the Sözcü group were later added to the same complaint.
BirGün reporter Çelik, along with web coordinators Uğur Koç and Berkant Gültekin, stated in their testimony to the prosecutor's office that the report contained no criminal element, that every line of the story was accurate, and that they stood behind it.
Journalists Uğur Dündar, Timur Soykan and Fatih Altaylı were subsequently summoned to testify.
The last story was not broken by the opposition media that first uncovered it, but was confirmed within two days by pro-government outlets CNN Türk and TV100. TV100 first reported that an agency had gathered people for payment to attend the party's membership ceremony.
But this was not enough. CHP leadership claimed that a person brought in by the agency — who was not shown protesting or heard speaking in the videos — had staged a protest against Kılıçdaroğlu, and alleged that opposition media outlets it described as Gülenist had set a trap for the CHP.
A party member supporting the Kılıçdaroğlu-Tekin leadership then appeared live on CNN Türk alongside the head of the casting agency, describing how he had arranged with the agency to bring hundreds of supporters to the CHP's membership ceremony for 950 lira each.
The process left Tekin, the court-appointed chair, increasingly isolated. CHP spokesperson Müslüm Sarı addressed the events: 'We did not organize this. As party headquarters, we attended. The provincial chair organized it. Accordingly, we issued a statement defending the provincial chair. The legal process will make the necessary assessment. If such a situation genuinely exists, we will make the necessary assessment.'
Tekin, meanwhile, first shared an insulting recording about journalists, then backtracked. He later apologized to Çelik during a live broadcast on the pro-CHP channel KRT, saying: 'I hadn't listened to it. If I had, I definitely would not have played it. I apologize for that. If I had listened to it, I wouldn't have done it.'
