Turkey’s media watchdog fines several streaming services for 'homosexual relationships'

Turkish media watchdog RTÜK has fined Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Mubi, Bein and Blu TV for having shows “contrary to social and cultural values and the Turkish family structure” mostly due to including “homosexual relationships.”

Wednesday July 26 2023 09:03 pm

Duvar English

Turkey’s Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) has fined several streaming services for having shows “contrary to social and cultural values and the Turkish family structure,” mostly because of including “homosexual relationships.”

The services included Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Mubi, Bein and Blu TV.

The media watchdog imposed an administrative fine from the upper limit on Netflix for “Anne+” and “Élite” series on the grounds showing “homosexual relationships.”

RTÜK found the episode “Sex Cabin” in the 2nd season of the Disney+ series “Love, Victor” and its 4th episode including “immoral behavior disturbing the society.”

RTÜK also imposed an administrative fine on Amazon Prime Video at the upper limit for the series “Modern Love” on the grounds of its being “contrary to the moral values of the society and the principle of protecting the family.”

The media watchdog also stated for the movies “Le Lycéen” and “Room in Rome” on the Mubi platform that “distorted relationships and scenes containing obscenity are against publishing principles.”

RTÜK said that the movies violated the principle of “the national and moral values of the society, general morality and the protection of the family” and imposed an administrative fine on Mubi.

The council also said that Blu TV's series “The Book Of Queer” contains “LGBTQ+ elements” and imposed an administrative fine from the upper limit.

Apart from the decisions made, RTÜK decided to invite the representatives of the streaming services to Ankara in September to discuss “broadcasting policies related to sensitive issues such as the Turkish family structure, national moral values, and the indivisible integrity of Turkey.”

RTÜK, whose policymaking board is dominated by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its allies, frequently fines broadcasters that are critical of the government and broadcasts that it finds “immoral.”

Digital platforms are under the authority of RTÜK as part of a regulation that passed on Aug. 1, 2019. Broadcasting corporations can't operate without getting licenses from RTÜK as part of the amendment.

In line with Law 6112, RTÜK licenses television channels, radio stations, and video-on-demand content in addition to monitoring their content.

As part of the regulations, companies are forced to remove the content deemed inappropriate by RTÜK.

Topics RTÜK streaming sites Netflix