The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) has decided to impose administrative fines on Sözcü TV and KOZA TV. The reason cited for the sanctions decided at the Supreme Council meeting was that the broadcasts violated the "principles of impartiality, reality, and accuracy."
It was reported that the fine imposed on Sözcü TV was due to assessments made during the "Simge Fıstıkoğlu ile İyi Ki Hafta Sonu" program aired on October 25. RTÜK evaluated that in the program, host Simge Fıstıkoğlu's comments regarding the arrest of journalist Murat Ağırel created the impression that Ağırel was arrested due to his journalistic activities.
The sanction against KOZA TV arose in the context of the "Doğrusunu İstersen" programs moderated by Evren Özalkuş, which aired on October 21 and 23. The channel was fined on the grounds that the moderator did not make a correction and endorsed the statements of the guests—İYİ Party Bursa Deputy Yüksel Selçuk Türkoğlu and CHP Istanbul Deputy Özgür Karabat—regarding allegations made during broadcasts concerning a fund investigation.
RTÜK Supreme Council member Tuncay Keser announced on his social media account that he dissented from the decisions. Keser stated that Sözcü TV was sanctioned for "creating the perception that Murat Ağırel was unjustly arrested," while KOZA TV was sanctioned for broadcasting politicians' comments regarding the fund corruption investigation without being certain of their accuracy.
"Access bans and the successive punishment of television broadcasts in connection with the multi-billion lira fund corruption investigation are processes that narrow the public's right to receive information and freedom of the press and expression."
Keser argued that punishing opinions expressed within the scope of political debate in commentary programs based on the criterion of "accuracy in news" is contrary to the principle of pluralism and RTÜK's obligation to protect the diversity of thought.
News Source: 12punto
