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International Defense Consultancy Inc. (SADAT) CEO Melih Tanrıverdi made a new statement on the broadcasting of an advertisement for the highly controversial private military contractor during a live interview with Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the main opposition party on TV100 channel.
In his new statement, Tanrıverdi said, "The channel called us when Kılıçdaroğlu was going to come. They asked us "Would you like to broadcast an ad?" So we said, since the channel finds it appropriate, let's do broadcast the ad."
Tanrıverdi has spoken to the YouTube channel of journalist Cüneyt Özdemir who is now in the US. He said "There was an interview with Selçuk Bayraktar on the television on the defense industry. We placed an advertisement for that program. Then the channel called us when Kılıçdaroğlu was going to have a program. They asked us "Would you like to broadcast an ad?" It was not our target audience. Therefore we found it appropriate since the channel finds it appropriate."
TV100: We made a criminal complaint
TV100 denied Melih Tanrıverdi at once saying, "He [Tanrıverdi] had confessed in his previous tweets giving the ad on purpose, and therefore brewing a plot. This plot was not noticed by our advertisement officer who does not have knowledge about the political debates and the banner ad was shown."
Banner ad showing armed and masked men was shown during interview with Kılıçdaroğlu
"Tanrıverdi has now made up this monstrous lie that they have received a call from us inviting them to give an ad. It is very clear that this lie is invented for taking revenge on TV100 due to our ethical stance. We are presenting attached the advertisement agreement between TV100 and the advertising agency,"
"The ad was shown only for eight seconds since it was removed as soon at it was noticed. TV100 has not collected the amount either, we rejected any payment. We have made a complaint at the prosecutor's office and also filed a case against these contemptible statements by Tanrıverdi."
What happened?
Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu joined a live broadcast on January 14 with veteran journalist Uğur Dündar on TV 100.
During the broadcast, a banner ad of SADAT appeared for about eight seconds. The ad showed armed and masked men in camouflage.
Kılıçdaroğlu reacted to the commercial on Twitter saying, "Half-witted paramilitary leftovers, who do you think you are threatening?"
In response to the CHP leader, Melih Tanrıverdi, CEO of the company, said they intentionally placed the commercial during the interview because "SADAT and Kılıçdaroğlu together got the best rating."
"Our advertising department turned this rating into a nice PR work by placing a 1,500-lira ad. Congratulations," Tanrıverdi had tweeted.
This wasn't the first public spat between Kılıçdaroğlu and SADAT. The CHP leader previously accused the company of "training terrorists" and being a threat to election security.
SADAT denies such accusations and says its main focus is on "facilitating" Türkiye's arms sales, especially to Muslim countries.
Adnan Tanrıverdi, founder of SADAT, was a senior adviser of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan between 2017 and 2019.
(RT/VK/PE)