RTÜK President announces investigation into Tele1

Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) President Ebubekir Şahin has announced that an investigation will be launched into the broadcaster Tele1 due to remarks made by Merdan Yanardağ on the program '18 Dakika'. 

RTÜK President Ebubekir Şahin stated the following in a post on his social media account:

"Freedom of the press requires responsibility. Individuals who have made it a habit to spew poison toward the Islamic world at every opportunity have this time expressed their malicious subconscious ideas regarding developments in Syria.

Those who claim that the Islamic world is in the darkness of the Middle Ages have, in fact, never been able to emerge from the darkness of their own intellectual worlds. The true intention of these individuals is to prepare the ground for sectarian conflict in Turkey by using developments in Syria as a pretext.

What they forget is that Turkey is no longer the old Turkey, and our nation does not fall for these cunning tricks. Law No. 6112 is extremely clear and explicit; media service providers cannot incite the public to hatred and hostility by discriminating based on race, language, religion, gender, class, region, or sect.

Under these circumstances, due to the statements made by Merdan Yanardağ on the program '18 Dakika', which aired on Tele 1 on 10.03.2025, that deeply wounded the public conscience and disregarded social sensitivities, the necessary investigation will be launched into the relevant broadcaster. Respectfully announced to the public."