Turkish state TV allocates 1,945 minutes to ruling party, 25 minutes to main opposition

In the 40 days since the start of the election calendar, Turkish state television TRT News allocated 1,945 minutes to the ruling AKP, and 25 minutes to the main opposition CHP. While the DEM Party was allocated 0 minutes, 27 minutes of content was against the pro-Kurdish party.

Wednesday February 14 2024 03:03 pm

Ceren Bayar / Gazete Haber

Turkey’s public broadcaster TRT’s news channel allocated 1,945 minutes to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and 25 minutes to the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in the 40 days since the election calendar started on Jan. 1, 2024 for the upcoming local elections on March 31.

Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) Member Necdet İpekyüz examined news, live broadcasts, news programs, and political rallies broadcast on TRT News between Jan.1- Feb. 10.

The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, on the other hand, was allocated 27 minutes of space with news and comments against it while given no other space for its political activities.

İpekyüz expressed that TRT has been discarding DEM Party even though it received the votes of millions of voters.

The RTÜK member underscored, "It is an indisputable fact that TRT News has abandoned public broadcasting. With its broadcasts for one-party propaganda during the election period, it also ignored the provision of the Supreme Electoral Council (YSK), which states that 'TRT and private radio and television organizations cannot make one-way and partisan broadcasts.'"

İpekyüz stated that TRT's attitude of ignoring the opposition has been in place since the past, yet “it aims to destroy the opposition by fueling discrimination and polarization.”