Tatar sells his television channel

Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar on Sunday sold the television channel he founded, Kanal T.

The channel has been sold to the Bagimsiz media group for £800,000 (€914,330), which was founded in January. From December 1, it will be renamed as Bagimsiz TV.

Tatar founded the television channel in 1996, the first privately-owned television station in the north.

When Tatar became a member of the ‘government’ for the first time, appointed as ‘finance minister’ by then ‘prime minister’ Dervis Eroglu in 2009, his wife Sibel Tatar took over as general manager of Kanal T.

Speaking on Monday following the sale, she said she “had to make a superhuman effort” to carry out her duties as Kanal T’s general manager after her husband was elected as Turkish Cypriot leader in 2020, as she had to combine her duties to the channel with her work as first lady.

“After my husband was elected president, I began to carry out the social projects I had been dreaming of for years in my new role, but never neglected my duty at Kanal T,” she said.

She said that after combining both roles for three years, “even though it hurts, I have to make this decision to be able to spend more time with my family.”

She said the channel would be in “safe hands” under the administration of the Bagimsiz media group, and said she hopes “the innovations they will bring will be beneficial for our country’s television industry.”