QUESTIONABLE SOURCE
A questionable source exhibits one or more of the following: extreme bias, consistent promotion of propaganda/conspiracies, poor or no sourcing to credible information, a complete lack of transparency and/or is fake news. Fake News is the deliberate attempt to publish hoaxes and/or disinformation for the purpose of profit or influence (Learn More). Sources listed in the Questionable Category may be very untrustworthy and should be fact-checked on a per-article basis. Please note sources on this list are not considered fake news unless specifically written in the reasoning section for that source. See all Questionable sources.
- Overall, we rate Fact-Check Turkey as Questionable based on the promotion of state propaganda while disguised as a fact checker and misleading claims.
Detailed Report
Reasoning: State Propaganda
Bias Rating: RIGHT
Factual Reporting: MIXED
Country: Turkey
Press Freedom Rating: LIMITED FREEDOM
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: Minimal Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: LOW CREDIBILITY
History
Launched on January 4, 2016, Fact-Checking Turkey is a fact-checking site based in Istanbul, Turkey. Fact-Checking Turkey describes itself as “a project of Bosphorus Center for Global Affairs.” According to a Poynter article, the Bosphorus Center for Global Affairs is a site operated by pro-government columnist Hilal Kaplan and her spouse Suheyl Ogut.
Read our profile on Turkey’s government’s influence on media.
Funded by / Ownership
Neither Fact-checking Turkey nor Bosphorus Center for Global Affairs’ ownership is disclosed. However, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) reports that President Erdogan’s son-in-law Berat Albayrak funds the site. Here is a quote from the report: “Suheyb Ogut manages numerous troll accounts and websites publishing similar sorts of information with financial support from the Presidential Palace’s son-in-law Berat Albayrak. 23 separate troll accounts that were activated between September 27, 2015 and September 20, 2016, are directed by ‘Global Relations Association’ which is known as ‘Bogazici Global Relations Center.’
Analysis / Bias
In review, Fact-Checking Turkey researches the accuracy of claims by pundits, columnists, and political analysts by utilizing state-subsidized and factually mixed sources, such as Anadolu Agency and the Daily Sabah, as well as some credible international sources. Although they use mostly credible sources such as The Guardian, they spin the information into a favorable narrative for the government. In reviewing numerous fact checks on the website, every single one was positive toward Turkey and the Government. While the information and sources may contain elements of truth, the selection of fact checks is biased in favor of the Turkish Government, particularly the ruling AKP party.
According to Poynter, “Fact-Checking Turkey is not a fact-checking service, but rather a project to counter articles critical of Turkey’s government.” They further state, “Unlike nonpartisan fact-checkers, Fact-Checking Turkey does not use a transparent methodology to adjudicate claims.”
Failed Fact Checks
A factual search of fact-checkers that are signatories of the International Fact Checking Network (IFCN) shows that Fact-Check Turkey has made a misleading claim regarding Wikipedia.
Overall, we rate Fact-Check Turkey Questionable based on the promotion of state propaganda while disguised as a fact checker and misleading claims. (M. Huitsing 7/6/2018) Updated (10/14/2022)
Source: http://factcheckingturkey.com/
Last Updated on May 24, 2023 by Media Bias Fact Check
Do you appreciate our work? Please consider one of the following ways to sustain us.
or
Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources