Greek media owner Nikos Chatzinikolaou said that he will contest for a television channel license in Turkey in response to a Turkish media owner who claims to get a similar license in Greece.
Chatzinikolaou announced his decision during his radio show on Real fm 97.8 on Friday morning.
“The Real Group decided to initiate legal proceedings to get a television license, not in Greece, but in Turkey. I state that publicly so that the Turkish Embassy hears the announcement and helps us,” said the owner of Real fm, Real News, and Agora newspapers.
Chatzinikolaou repeated that his statement is not a joke. He said the Turkish television market is very large, as the neighboring country has a population of 80 million and emphasized that on Monday, in collaboration with a large law firm in Greece and Turkey, he will start all the necessary procedures.
The Chatzinikolaou move comes after Turkish media owner Acun Ilicali announced that he will pursue a television license in Greece.
Ilicali is a Turkish television personality and producer. He is also the founder and VP of “Acun Medya” and also the owner of Turkish television channel TV8.
On Friday, Ilicali confirmed his interest and said he has spoken to Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and the prime minister told him to make a bid for a license in Greece.
The Turkish media owner spoke to Eleftheros Typos newspaper saying, “We
want to enter the Greek market. I trust Greece. I trust the Greek economy and intend to invest in Greece. We are waiting for the competition; we do not know how long this process will take. As a television company we have reached a high point and we want to show our abilities in Greece.”
Regarding the meeting with Alexis Tsipras, Ilicali said: “Yes, everyone knows we have met. Certainly we haven’t gone into details, but we expressed our interest. But he (Tsipras) told us that the contest will be held in conditions of transparency and that we have every right to participate.”
Ilicali said that he will pursue a license for an entertainment channel and not a news channel in Greece.
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