Reuters: Dogan and gov't were at odds
Güncelleme Tarihi:
The Reuters news agency said the Dogan media has been at odds with the government over a series of corruption stories published in his newspapers.
Here is the full article:
"Dogan Yayin disputes tax fine, papers slam govt
ISTANBUL, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Leading media company Dogan Yayin Thursday disputed the reasoning behind a fine and tax charge of nearly $500 million and its newspapers accused the Turkish government of a veiled attack a critical press.
"This is the levy on freedom of press...This has nothing to do with taxation," Vuslat Dogan Sabanci, chief executive of leading daily Hurriyet, said on the paper's website.
Billionaire Aydin Dogan owns nearly half of Turkey's print and broadcasting media and has been at odds with the government over a series of corruption stories published in his newspapers.
Dogan Yayin shares were up 2 percent on Thursday, after falling 18 percent on Wednesday. Dogan Yayin's parent company Dogan Holding up 3.64 percent -- outperforming the Istanbul stock exchange.
Dogan Yayin said on Wednesday it had been fined 693 million lira and also ordered to pay 132.9 million lira following a tax investigation.
Dogan Yayin said in a separate statement on Wednesday that the tax dispute was over the sale of a minority stake in subsidiary Dogan TV Holding A.S. to German publisher Axel Springer.Â
Dogan Yayin said the tax authorities levied the fine because they ruled that Dogan sold the stake in 2006 but concealed this information to avoid taxes by saying it was sold in 2007.
"The share transfer transaction in question was registered in 2007, and it is obvious that the claim stated in the tax examination report that the share transfer transaction was completed in 2006 has no legal validity," Dogan said.
Dogan Yayin plans to appeal the fine and tax. Government officials were not immediately available for comment.
CRITICISED GOVERNMENT
Hurriyet, Radikal and Milliyet newspapers accused the government of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan of using the tax charge as a way to silence a press critical of the government.
Erdogan has criticised Aydin Dogan and his media companies for unfair reporting and called on his AK Party members to boycott his newspapers.
The government has denied any corruption allegations and late last year called for an investigation into what it said were shady business practices by Dogan.
Aydin Dogan has rejected any wrongdoing."
http://www.reuters.com/article/technology-media-telco-SP/idUSLJ13920420090219