The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) has rained down fines on numerous media outlets over their coverage of Ekrem İmamoğlu. According to RTÜK member İlhan Taşcı, RTÜK President Ebubekir Şahin arbitrarily brought five separate reports to the board as off-agenda items just 20 minutes before the meeting, leading to fines against NOW TV, Tele1, Halk TV, and Sözcü TV due to their broadcasts regarding the detention of İmamoğlu.
İlhan Taşcı stated, "It is clear that the RTÜK President, backed by political power, has declared war on the media under the pretext of the investigation into Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Where there is no law, everything is illegal!"
In a post shared on his social media account, Taşcı wrote the following:
'RTÜK PRESIDENT DECLARES WAR ON MEDIA UNDER PRETEXT OF İMAMOĞLU'
"RTÜK imposes fines on channels over İmamoğlu coverage While the RTÜK Law requires that files to be included on the Supreme Council's agenda must be distributed to members 24 hours in advance so they can prepare for deliberation, RTÜK President Ebubekir Şahin arbitrarily brought five separate reports to the board as off-agenda items just 20 minutes before the meeting.
It is impossible for members to study five separate reports and prepare for the board meeting in 20 minutes. By giving instructions to experts in the Monitoring Department in violation of the law, they prepared reports that appear to have been tailored to order, and by playing their own game, they showered the channels with fines. It is clear that the RTÜK President, backed by political power, has declared war on the media under the pretext of the investigation into Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Where there is no law, everything is illegal!
Supreme Council members İlhan Taşcı, Tuncay Keser, Ahmet Can Buğday, and Necdet İpekyüz did not participate in the discussion of these reports, as they were brought at the last minute and were contrary to procedure and the law.
Due to their İmamoğlu broadcasts, Now TV was given a 3% administrative fine, Tele 1 a 3% administrative fine, Halk TV a 3% administrative fine and a 3-time program suspension, and SZC was given a 3% administrative fine for the Özlem Gürses program and a 3-time program suspension. I submit this to the public's information."
News Source: 12punto
