Turkey's media watchdog cancels five broadcasts for news programme critical of AKP gov't
Turkey's media watchdog penalized a news show on the opposition news broadcaster Halk TV with a five-time broadcast cancellation and a monetary fine. A member of the watchdog council from the main opposition CHP İlhan Taşcı slammed the watchdog institution for what he deemed to be obvious bias.
Duvar English
Turkey's Radio and Television High Council (RTÜK) issued a penalty to cancel the broadcast of a news program on the opposition news broadcaster Halk TV May 1.
Ayşenur Arslan's program "Medya Mahallesi" ("media neighborhood" in Turkish) will also be paying a monetary fine.
The broadcaster Halk TV was founded with the initiative of former main opposition leader from Republican People's Party (CHP) Deniz Baykal, and is best known for its continued coverage of the 2013 Gezi Park protests amid broadcast bans.
RTÜK member from CHP İlhan Taşcı slammed the watchdog institution for what he deemed to be obvious bias.
"RTÜK has completely proven its partisanship for the government. In the meeting today, all critical broadcasters were heavily penalized by the palace's wishes and with forced reports," Taşcı said on social media.
The decision comes weeks after a three-time cancellation on the evening news program of Fox TV on the grounds that anchor Fatih Portakal had “incited hatred and polarization."
The RTÜK penalties on Fox TV had followed an official complaint about Portakal on the grounds that he had "lied" and made manipulative remarks.