Kanal D Facing Heavy Monetary Fine from RTÜK

The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) demands a defence from Kanal D regarding allegations of "reflecting frightening features of a terrorist organization". The allegation is based on the broadcast of a news item related to the death of eleven soldiers in Şemdinli/Gediktepe (south-eastern province of Hakkari) and of statements of the families who had lost their children. The Turkish television channel is facing a monetary fine of TL 375,000-740,000 (€ 160,000-370,000) in case RTÜK finds the defence unconvincing.

Kanal D is being penalized due to a supposed breach of article 4y ("principles of publication") of Law No. 3984 on the Establishment of Radio and Television Enterprises and Their Broadcasts.

RTÜK investigated the main news bulletins of the channel broadcasted on 20-22 June 2010. The council decided for a violation of the principles of publication by majority vote and demanded a defence.

RTÜK members Hülya Alp and Esat Çıplak from the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) respectively opposed the decision. Alp reasoned her dissenting vote,"Rather than frightening and deterring features of a terror organization, the broadcast reflected the strength, determination and union in terms of loving and defending the fatherland by the Turkish military and the Turkish people".

Journalist Birand: Broadcasting will become impossible under these circumstances

In a program on CNN Türk, journalist Ayşenur Arslan discussed the penalty with journalist Mehmet Ali Birand. Birand called the punishment a "scandal", saying, "If the trend goes on like this, nobody will be able to broadcast anything on television anymore because of RTÜK".

Vural: Press freedom has its limits

Prof. Dr Ali Murat Vural from the Anatolia University Faculty of Communication Sciences spoke out against this sort of pressure. He stated that press freedom does have its limits though and that the press should organize itself. He added that according to public research, the media sector is esteemed very low. "The media has to establish relations to other professional organizations and should sort out itself".

Journalist Birand criticized that the broadcasted statements of the families who suffered a loss were assessed as "supporting the PKK" (the militant Kurdistan Workers Party). "Should we not give these mourning people the chance to speak? Should we censor what they say? So what shall we do? So let us not broadcast anything. Everybody should just make news on trouble-free issues, pink, beautiful and calm. You can be sure that if this approach is continued, unfortunately, there will be no television broadcasts in Turkey anymore", Birand said.

"Full agreement" on terror summit

On 25 June, RTÜK organized a meeting in co-operation with the Television Broadcasters Association (TVYD) which was attended by the Minister of the Interior Abdülkadir Aksu, officials of the other ministries and the television channels' publication directors.

The television officials were warned in the course of the meeting not to broadcast any incentive news related to terrorist organizations. At the end of the meeting, a "full agreement" was announced and according contextual and technical precautions were published. (EÖ/VK)