Turkey’s media watchdog RTÜK says it ‘stands up for pluralism, press freedom’

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Turkey's media watchdog Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) has released a written statement after it was reported in the press that it ordered the Voice of America (VoA), Deutsche Welle (DW) Türkçe and Euronews to submit an application for a license within 72 hours.

"In full view of unfair recent accusations especially taken place at some press and media organs, an obligation has emerged for the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) to make a press release," the statement has read, justifying the order in the following words:

"In accordance with the Law No. 6112 on the Establishment of Radio and Television Enterprises and Their Media Services, RTÜK has taken a decision to issue a warning to three international internet news portals on the obligation of obtaining a broadcasting license as it was granted already to the hundreds of other domestic and foreign news portals providing actively audio-visual online linear and non-linear services.

"RTÜK bases its decision on Article 29/A of the Law No. 6112."

The media watchdog has explained this legal framework as follows:

In accordance with this Law, media service providers in demand to provide their radio, television and on-demand media services need to obtain broadcasting license from RTÜK. This case includes the media organizations whose programme broadcasts targeting Turkey are in Turkish language and provide commercials even though their content or hosting service providers are located abroad.

RTÜK has said:

"As a result of examination on the main pages of URL addresses of the relevant media organizations, 'Live' button and 'video' button has been seen to take place. It has also been seen that it can be passed through the 'live' button to a linear broadcasting and through the 'video' button to various on-demand contents under the titles of 'World, Europe, Economy, Sport, Culture, Programmes' that are all listed up in a catalog."

CLICK - 'RTÜK head wants no news to be reported, no criticism to be leveled at government'

'To keep on their oppositionist position...'

Listing its mission and quality principles, RTÜK has argued, "RTÜK always stands up for pluralism, press freedom and free news covering of media organizations." It has briefly added the following:

"Turkey is a State ruled by Law like any other democratic country and each sector has its own rules and regulations.

"Sectors are regulated and supervised by the laws that are passed by the nation's will in the Turkish Grand National Assembly. So, regulation and supervision of the media sector by an authority is also natural.

"Like its existent counterparts abroad such as Ofcom of UK, CSA of France, and FCC of USA, RTÜK is the media authority in Turkey. As a constitutional institution, RTÜK regulates and supervises the organizations operating in the media sector in accordance with the Law No. 6112.

"Our Supreme Council whose missions and visions are officially and clearly defined by the Law does never exhibit an attitude in a way to blockade newscasting or to bring a quota to the news. Contrary to some accusations nowadays, RTÜK, being a guide to the sector, stands up for the dissemination of news legally under certain guarantees.

"RTÜK regulates and supervises online media service providers and web-based on-demand media organizations in the same way as it regulates and supervises traditional radio and television broadcasters.

"In some debates recently carried out as regards to the area of on-demand media services, RTÜK has been exposed once more by some quarters to the storm of criticism just because of its latest decision.

"But it has been seen that almost all the international on-demand platforms obtained their necessary licenses by confiding in our country and our State, opened their bureaus in Turkey and, by generating employment, executed all their financial and legal liabilities.

"Today, the sector of online on-demand media services with all its domestic and foreign organizations is sustaining its life without any problem in a way of setting a good example to the many developed countries in the world.

"As far as the latest debates are concerned, RTÜK has recommended many web organizations by issuing necessary notifications via its official website up until now to make an application to RTÜK for obtaining their licenses, and following their applications, the necessary licenses/ permissions have been granted to all of them without any problems.

"As it is clearly seen that the origin of a group of people who criticizes RTÜK's regulation activities on the provision of conformity of some international press organizations with the Law is based again on the arguments of a certain group of opposition quarters who solely want to keep on their oppositionist position.

"Our Supreme Council fulfills its activities completely and rightfully in line with its Law No. 6112 and the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey, both of which guarantee the public's right to the freedom of information on legal grounds.

"There is no need for anybody to feel an undue concern or hesitation on the freedom of expression and press freedom in Turkey and make statements harboring untrue implications and accusations on our Supreme Council currently fulfilling its missions on a legal basis." (HA/SD)