RTÜK fines streaming platforms for violating 'family protection principles'

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The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) yesterday imposed penalties on various streaming platforms for reasons related to "violating the principle of protecting the family" and "obscenity."

Among the affected platforms are Netflix, Disney+, MUBI, and BluTV, a Turkey-based platform.

Regarding Netflix's production "Anne+," the RTÜK report highlighted that the film's "portrayal of gender, sexuality, and relationships without limits, the construction of an alternative ideal world based on gender, the alteration of the universal family form, explicit scenes of intense obscenity shown in detail, and the normalization, even the designation as healthy," of all these aspects were considered to be in violation of the principle of protecting the family.

In line with the findings in the report, RTÜK imposed an administrative fine on Netflix at the upper limit.

The council gained the authority to oversee streaming platforms with a regulation published in August 2019. Since then, fines have been imposed on various platforms, particularly for films depicting LGBTI+ stories. Additionally, RTÜK has requested the removal of certain films from streaming in Turkey.

"National and moral values"

The series "Elite+" on Netflix was found to have violated the ruling that broadcasting services cannot go against the national and moral values, general morality, and the principle of protecting the family.

In the case of Disney+'s series "Love, Victor," an administrative fine at the upper limit was applied due to the presence of "disturbing and morally objectionable behaviors" in one of its episodes.

The production "Modern Love," aired on Amazon Prime Video, also received an administrative fine at the upper limit for containing dialogues contrary to the moral values of society and the principle of protecting the family.

For the films "Winter" and "Room in Room" on MUBI, RTÜK imposed penalties, considering that they contained scenes of "obscenity" that violated broadcasting principles.

BluTV's series "The Book of Queer" and the film "Lost Highway," broadcast on Bein Movies Stars, were penalized for violating the broadcasting principles set forth in Law No. 6112.

RTÜK deemed the discussions on immoral, sexual, and obscene topics during the "Mesut Süre ile Rabarba" comedy program on Virgin Radio to be against broadcasting principles suitable for children's listening time, leading to an administrative fine at the upper limit for the broadcasting company.

Additionally, RTÜK decided to hold a comprehensive meeting in September with digital internet platform broadcasters on subjects such as "Turkish family structure, national and moral values, and the indivisible integrity of Turkey." (TY/VK)