Türkiye / Turkey radio station Açık Radyo (https://acikradyo.com.tr/), known for its focus on civil society and environmental advocacy, also known as Open Radio 95.0, has had its terrestrial broadcast license revoked by the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RadyoveTelevizyonÜstKurulu– RTÜK – https://www.rtuk.gov.tr/en) after close to 30 years on the air. The decision allegedly stems from comments made during an April 2024 episode of the show “AçıkGazete,” (Open Newspaper) where the term “Armenian genocide” was used, triggering a series of program suspensions and fines. RTÜK cited the station’s failure to comply with these penalties as the reason for the cancellation.
Despite an initial court ruling halting the penalty and allowing the station to continue broadcasting the 21, Administrative Court in Ankara, Türkiye / Turkey, later overturned this decision on 27 September 2024 paving the way for the license revocation to proceed. On Friday 11 October 2024 Açık Radyo received official notice from RTÜK that the license had been revoked. As result the terrestrial broadcast on frequency 95.0, which has been continuing for 30 years, was closed by RTÜK in line with the notified decision
Açık Radyo has vowed to continue its legal fight, expressing hope that this shutdown will be temporary. In its statement, the station emphasized its long-standing role as a platform for diverse voices, from climate activism to public health and gender equality, and urged listeners and the international community to raise their voices against this attack on press freedom.
The radio station from Istanbul in Turkey, began broadcasting in November 1995 and remains a symbol of media in Türkiye / Turkey that is fighting against bureaucratic moves that silence critical discourse. In May 2000 it began broadcasting online. In 2005 the radio opened itself for students in Turkey, starting cooperation with Bilgi University. It has regular program exchanges with radio stations in different countries in Europe. It I owned by 92 persons who are holding near-equal shares
The South East Europe Media Organisation(SEEMO), condemns the recent revocation of Açık Radyo’s broadcasting license by RTÜK, a move that stifles free expression and strikes a severe blow to media freedom in Türkiye / Turkey. Açık Radyo, a vital platform for civil voices, environmental advocacy, and cultural diversity, has been unjustly silenced under bureaucratic and technical pretenses. Such actions undermine press freedom and democratic values. SEEMO calls on Turkish authorities to reverse this decision and urge the international community to stand in solidarity with Açık Radyo and all defenders of free speech.
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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