CBC journalist Nil Köksal, who came under fire earlier this year for attempts to link Russia's Vladimir Putin to the truckers Freedom Convoy, has received a promotion. .Köksal, a 20-year veteran reporter with CBC, has been named the new co-host of As It Happens, a weeknight radio program she guest hosted several times. .She will join co-host Chris Howden on September 5 after stepping down from her hosting duties for the CBC's World Report, where she has served since 2018. Köksal will replace veteran broadcaster Carol Off, who stepped down after 16 years in February, as reported by the CBC..The show has been around since 1968 and, according to its executive producer, Austin Webb, the addition of Köksal will keep the program "fresh."."Nil is an inspired and inspiring choice," said Webb.."We already know she's a brilliant, phenomenal journalist: quick-thinking, curious and compassionate."."And — crucially — we also know her sense of humour ranges from the sublime to the ridiculous. So professionally, she is remarkable. And personally, she is a delight. All of which makes Nil the perfect person to take AIH through whatever is to come over the next months and years.".In January, Köksal made comments to Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino during an interview, suggesting "Russian actors could be continuing to fuel things as this protest grows" while covering the Freedom Convoy protests in Ottawa. .READ MORE: CBC’s attempt to link Putin to Freedom Convoy draws worldwide ridicule.“I do ask that because given Canada’s support of Ukraine in this current crisis with Russia, I don’t know if it’s far-fetched to ask,” she said. .Köksal suggested Russia could have been "instigating it from, from the outset," but, at that point in the interview, said she would "defer to our partners in the public safety of trained officials and experts in that area." .US-based Fox News, along with other media outlets around the world, covered the exchange shared widely in a video that went viral at the time. .“The CBC is a Canadian public broadcaster that is funded by the government," said Fox in its coverage. ."The Freedom Convoy has been described as a grassroots movement; it has no known ties to Russia." .Köksal was born in Istanbul, Turkey and, at the age of four, moved to Canada and lived in several locations in Ontario and BC. The reporter has worked with the CBC for more than two decades after starting her career as an intern covering the arts scene..She has travelled extensively with Canada's public broadcaster reporting from several countries including Tunisia, South Korea, the US, the UK and was a correspondent based in Istanbul for three years.
