Journalists Association of Turkey reacts to RTÜK: Do not obstruct the right to information with unlawful decisions

The Journalists Association of Turkey (TGC) Board of Directors issued a statement criticizing the penalties imposed by the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) on Halk TV, Sözcü TV, and Tele1 TV. The statement, which described the penalties as unacceptable, included the following views:

“RTÜK ignores press freedom, which, according to the Constitution, encompasses the freedom to receive or impart information and ideas without interference by public authorities. RTÜK, which should remain at an equal distance from all media organizations and whose decisions should be in accordance with the law, continues its activities to block every piece of news that the government does not want. It is pursuing an attitude that will lead to the closure of independent media organizations and the unemployment of journalists through unfair and unlawful monetary fines.

Most recently, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) showered television channels with penalties again at its meeting on June 26, 2025. RTÜK imposed penalties on Halk TV, Tele 1, and Sözcü TV. Halk TV was given a 10-day broadcast suspension.

The licenses of Halk TV, Sözcü TV, and Tele1 TV could be revoked if they receive penalties within one year under the provision that they ‘cannot incite the public to hatred and hostility or create feelings of hatred in society by discriminating based on race, language, religion, gender, class, region, or sect’ or under the article on ‘inciting the public to hatred and hostility.’

Halk TV was given a 10-day broadcast suspension by a majority vote for the program ‘Sansürsüz with Sinem Fıstıkoğlu,’ on the grounds that Atom Engineer Tolga Yarman’s statements, ‘Turkey is not becoming religious, it is becoming sectarian’ and ‘If we look at it from the naming of the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, we have been incited against Iran,’ ‘incited the public to hatred and hostility.’ A 3 percent administrative fine was imposed on the program ‘Sansürsüz with Sinem Fıstıkoğlu’ broadcast on Halk TV, on the grounds that it violated the provision regarding ‘not respecting human dignity and the privacy of private life, and using humiliating expressions beyond the limits of criticism against individuals or organizations’ due to CHP Istanbul Deputy Yunus Emre’s criticisms regarding Mehmet Uçum.

A 3 percent administrative fine was issued at the RTÜK meeting for SÖZCÜ TV, on the grounds that it violated the provision regarding ‘not respecting human dignity and the privacy of private life, and using humiliating expressions beyond the limits of criticism against individuals or organizations’ due to guest Türker Ertürk’s statement directed at the government, ‘Acting as a subcontractor for imperialism,’ in the program titled ‘Öncesi Sonrası Gece’ hosted by Senem Toluay Ilgaz.

TELE 1 was given a 3 percent administrative fine on the grounds of ‘using humiliating expressions beyond the limits of criticism against individuals or organizations’ for criticizing the Akit Newspaper, which announced the news about Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ferdi Zeyrek, who lost his life after being electrocuted, with the headline ‘Ferdi Zeyrek was struck.’

The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) also fined the online series and film platform Netflix and the music platform Spotify on the grounds that they were contrary to ‘national and moral values.’

It appears that because RTÜK cannot grasp the changing world order and fundamental human rights and freedoms, it is once again trying to direct broadcasts through blackouts and high monetary fines.

As the Journalists Association of Turkey, we once again call on RTÜK to be impartial in its decisions, to respect press freedom, and to stop putting pressure on media organizations with heavy monetary fines and obstructing citizens’ right to information with unlawful decisions.”