Opposition Member Faruk Bildirici Dropped from RTÜK Membership

Click to read the article in Turkish

Media ombudsperson Faruk Bildirici has been dropped from the membership of the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), he has announced on Twitter.

"The price for putting up an opposition was the cancellation of my membership. I will bring the intolerance, unlawfulness and the anti-democratic decision to the judiciary," Bildirici tweeted.

The proposal for the dismissal of Bildirici was made by RTÜK Chair Ebubekir Şahin. While Bildirici was not legally able to attend the meeting, İlhan Taşçı, a member from the main opposition Republican People's Party, defended him.

Taşçı said that the council decided 6-2 in favor of the proposal.

"This decision is a big blow against democracy and the proof of intolerance against the opposition. The decision is legally null and void. This will have legal and political consequences," he said.

"If a member who was elected at the TBMM (Grand National Assembly of Turkey) with the votes of all deputies can be dismissed with six members raising hands at the Supreme Council, then this means the RTÜK considers itself superior to the TBMM and the national will.

"The decision made is to disregard the will of the members of the parliament who voted [for Bildirici] and the choice of the parliament."

Bildirici said that he was dismissed he opposed and made public that the RTÜK Chair is also a member of the Press Advertisement Agency (BİK) and TÜRKSAT, a state-owned satellite communications company.

He further said that the decision could pave the way for anti-democratic practices as "the party who finds five votes can dismiss an opponent member whom it wants to silence." (TP/VK)