Turkey's media watchdog imposes a five-day blackout on opposition Tele1 TV channel
Turkey's media watchdog RTÜK has slapped opposition TV station Tele1 with a five-day black screen broadcast ban over statements critical of the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) and Ottoman Sultan Abuldhamit II. Opposition leaders have slammed RTÜK for its move, saying that this is an "attack on free press and people's freedom of information."
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Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) has slapped Tele1, an opposition TV channel, with a five-day black screen broadcast ban over statements critical of the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) and Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamit II.
TheAnkara Third Administrative Court had in July rejected this five-dayblackout order imposed on Tele1; however upon the appeal of RTÜK,the issue was discussed at a higher Ankara court, which ruled infavor of the media watchdog.
The broadcast ban went into effect as of Sept. 3. Several people, including opposition politicians, slammed RTÜK's move, with the hashtag #Tele1Susturulamaz (which translates as 'Tele1 cannot be silenced') going viral on Twitter.
"The rulership is afraid of the power of the truth; it is trying to suppress every opposition voice and extend its lifetime by blacking out the facts. The blackout on Tele1 is an attack on free press and people's freedom of information," Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) wrote in a message on its official Twitter account.
“Tele1 is being blacked out in an unlawful way as of this midnight for five days. Those who think that they can prevent the truth from being spread by blacking out the screens, will be once again mistaken,” Canan Kaftancıoğlu, Istanbul provincial chairwoman of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), wrote on Twitter.
“This is a shameful record for the media history. This is against the constitution and law,” İYİ (Good) Party deputy Aytun Çıray wrote.
Turkish actress Berna Laçin similarly slammed RTÜK's decision with the phrase of “For a free Turkey...”