The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) (https://www.rtuk.gov.tr/) has recently imposed administrative fines on four television channels, as disclosed by a RTÜK member on his social media account on 17 November 2023.
Tele 1 TV (https://tele1.com.tr/canli-yayin/) received three fines, equivalent to 3 percent of its advertising revenues, for statements made by Merdan Yanardağ and Emre Kongar on the program “18 Dakika.” Flash Haber (https://flashhabertv.com/) was fined 3 percent administratively for critical reports on retirement grants and salaries, along with an additional 3 percent for journalist Fatih Ertürk’s remarks on the retirement grant. KRT TV (https://www.krttv.com.tr/) faced two separate fines, each amounting to 3 percent of its ad revenues, for journalist Zafer Arapkirli’s comments on road and bridge toll increases and the Fidan-Blinken handshaking discussed on his show “Medya Terapi.” Halk TV (https://halktv.com.tr/) also incurred two 3 percent administrative fines, one for journalist Timur Soykan’s comments on the Sinan Ateş murder and another for journalist Bahadır Özgür’s remarks about ISIS.
A detailed analysis of fines issued by RTÜK over the past decade is available in a report published by journalist Hayri Demir (https://www.expressioninterrupted.com/rtuk-s-10-year-record-opposition-media-penalized/).
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemns these penalties, viewing them as potential threats to media freedom.
South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non-profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.
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