Incident
Turkiye: Dogan Holding sells its media outlets to Demiroren
Turkiye's largest independent media group, including the newspaper Hurriyet and the broadcaster CNN Turk, was sold to the Demiroren conglomerate, a buyer with ties to the governing party, for a reported 1.1 billion dollars.123
What happened
Dogan Holding, one of Turkiye's largest conglomerates, announced on March 21, 2018, that it would sell its media assets, including the newspapers Hurriyet and Posta and the television channels Kanal D and CNN Turk, to Demiroren Holding for a reported 1.1 billion dollars. Dogan's outlets had been among the few remaining large media companies not aligned with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government, though the group had already softened its coverage under years of tax disputes and legal pressure. Demiroren had a record of changing coverage after previous purchases: when it bought the newspapers Milliyet and Vatan from Dogan in 2011, both switched to a government-supportive editorial line. Journalists said the sale would place Turkiye's mass media even more directly under pro-government ownership, since Demiroren's chairman had personal and business ties to Erdogan.123
Sustained; the sale closed as announced.123
What reason was given
Stated justification
What changed for reporting
Journalists covering the sale said it would extend pro-government ownership over the last major independent broadcaster and newspaper group, following the same pattern seen at Demiroren's earlier acquisitions.1
Timeline
2018
Who acted
| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
|---|---|---|
| Demiroren Holding | other | Turkish conglomerate aligned with the governing party |
| Recep Tayyip Erdoğan | other | President of Türkiye |
Outlets and journalists
| Name | Kind | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| CNN Turk | outlet | affected |
| Dogan Holding | outlet | affected |
| Hurriyet | outlet | affected |
Sources
- Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of March 19, 2018
- Pro-Erdogan group agrees to buy owner of Hurriyet newspaper, CNN Turk
Claims and evidence
Each numbered claim quotes the source it rests on.
- Precedent cited for what the new sale would mean editorially.
when Demirören previously acquired dailies Milliyet and Vatan from Doğan in 2011, their editorial lines became strictly pro-government
Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of March 19, 2018, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2018-03-28.Claim 535, checked 2026-09-22. - The CPJ chronicle's description of the announced sale.
Doğan Holding, one of Turkey's largest conglomerates, on March 21 announced that it would sell its media assets to the pro-government Demirören Holding.
Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of March 19, 2018, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2018-03-28.Claim 633, checked 2026-09-22. - The specific outlets named as part of the sale.
Two of Turkey's top-selling newspapers, Hurriyet and Posta, and its main entertainment and news channels, Kanal D and CNN Turk, would be included in the sale, the news reports said.
Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of March 19, 2018, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2018-03-28.Claim 634, checked 2026-09-22.