RTÜK President Şahin says 'our goal is to maintain balance' and condemns CHP: 'It is unclear who and what it serves'

The CHP had launched a boycott campaign against certain brands following investigations in which Ekrem İmamoğlu and high-level Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) officials were targeted. 

Speaking at the CHP's 'Standing Up for the National Will' rally in Istanbul's Avcılar district, Özel reiterated his call for a boycott and stated the following:

'TRT, the Albayrak group, Turkuvaz Media, Doğuş Media… We are boycotting them all entirely. TGRT, for instance, is practically sworn to curse at the CHP. They earn their money from the İhlas brand. We are not buying their products. We are never turning on channels like NTV, Star, and Kral.'

Şahin reacted to Özel's call by tagging the mentioned channels on X:

The Middle East is experiencing one of the most sensitive periods in its history. As the Iran-Israel tension continues to escalate, the region is becoming more vulnerable to instability, threats, and provocations. While Turkey's security and diplomatic balances in the region are undergoing major tests, making a call for a boycott by deepening debates on the media internally and turning the broadcasting field into a tool for polarization is not a sensible or national approach. 

In such a fragile period, we strongly condemn the Leader of the Main Opposition Party and the CHP communication channel for targeting Turkey's deep-rooted broadcasting organizations with large audiences—such as TRT, ATV, Kral Pop, A Haber, Beyaz TV, Kanal D, CNN Türk, NTV, Star TV, and TGRT Haber—with a boycott call that is, to put it mildly, thoughtless and whose service to whom and what is unclear.

This attitude causes unnecessary tension and division in society and seriously harms freedom of the press and the public's right to receive information. Such political moves that systematically target the media directly undermine the public's right to obtain information from different sources.

Of course, criticism is a natural and indispensable part of democratic life. However, it is of great importance that these criticisms do not turn into directly targeting institutions, so that public debate can be maintained in a healthy and constructive manner. The broadcasting sector is not only obligated to defend freedom of expression but is also obliged to act with a sense of social responsibility.

As the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), we meticulously monitor the compliance of broadcasts with the law and ethical rules; when a violation is detected, we decisively carry out the necessary interventions within the legal framework. Our goal is to ensure the public's access to accurate and reliable information by maintaining the balance between freedom and responsibility in the media sector.

To contribute to this delicate balance and to strengthen social peace, the political institution must also fulfill its own responsibilities. Especially in such times, it is everyone's common duty to adopt a unifying, conciliatory, and responsible language instead of targeting the media.

While Turkey's deep-rooted broadcasting organizations continue to carry out their duties in accordance with the law, ethical principles, and public interest, we, as the Supreme Council, will continue to follow this process with great determination and sensitivity.

CHP RTÜK member Tuncay Keser had previously complained to the council about TRT Haber, Haber Global, and A Haber due to their broadcasts regarding the investigations focused on the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, stating that Şahin had 'ignored and shelved' these applications.

News Source: 12punto