Turkish media watchdog signs 'pro-family protocol' with Istanbul Family Foundation
Turkey's state-run media watchdog RTÜK has signed a protocol with the Istanbul Family Foundation to align media with "family values, protect children, and promote national values." Chair Ebubekir Şahin announced the protocol as part of the "ongoing fight against LGBT."
Duvar English
Turkey's Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) on March 7 signed a protocol on the "protection and strengthening of the family" with the Istanbul Family Foundation.
In a statement, RTÜK described the agreement as a "comprehensive step aimed at aligning digital media and television content with family values, protecting children from harmful content, and preserving national and moral values through media."
RTÜK President Ebubekir Şahin said that the council would continue its "fight" against LGBT on every platform with full force, as it "threatened all our national and moral values."
"We will resolutely take all necessary measures to prevent this deviant mindset from further harming the Turkish family structure," he continued.
As part of the protocol, RTÜK planned to expand its "Good Night, Children" project and introduce a "Family-Friendly Broadcast Hour" in television programming. Short film, animation, and documentary competitions supporting family unity would also be organized to encourage the production of cultural content that highlights positive family values.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has declared 2025 as the “Year of Family,” escalating his rhetoric against the LGBTI+ community in his speeches using "family and national values"
Government officials, including ministers, have also intensified hate speech against LGBTI+ individuals, frequently invoking "family values" as a justification.
It was recently revealed that the Turkish government has been planning to criminalize public expressions of LGBTI+ identities and restrict legal procedures for gender affirmation processes, according to a draft law proposal.