Turkey's public broadcaster under investigation for pro-government bias in election coverage

Turkey’s broadcast regulator, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), has initiated an investigation into the state-run broadcaster TRT Haber for alleged impartiality breaches favoring the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the lead-up to the March 31 local elections.

RTÜK members Tuncay Keser and İlhan Taşcı requested the oversight council to scrutinize TRT Haber’s election broadcasts, which they claim lacked the required impartiality. RTÜK Chairman Ebubekir Şahin has decided to proceed with the examination of these complaints.

The decision on TRT Haber’s election coverage is expected to be made within this month.

Despite the propaganda ban in place since March 28, TRT Haber on March 31, the election day, aired campaign advertisements featuring President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, his ruling AKP’s İstanbul mayoral candidate Murat Kurum, İzmir mayoral candidate Hamza Dağ, and Kepez mayoral candidate Hakan Tütüncü. 

Additionally, TRT Haber promoted a book titled “Municipality with the Vision of Turkey’s Century,” introduced by the Presidency’s Communications Directorate and featuring a foreword by Erdoğan. The channel also broadcasted an advertisement for Ordu Mayor Mehmet Hilmi Güler on March 30.

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has criticized TRT for allocating little to no coverage time for its candidates in the lead-up to the elections.

This probe follows RTÜK’s imposition of fines on several broadcasters for their coverage of the May 14, 2023, presidential and parliamentary general elections. FOX TV and Halk TV were fined 5%, and TELE1 was fined 3% of their monthly advertising revenue for content deemed critical of the government.

The actions of RTÜK have been met with criticism from various press freedom and human rights organizations, which accuse the regulator of suppressing critical reporting and undermining the electoral process by disproportionately penalizing independent broadcasters. These organizations have called for an immediate end to the persecution of independent broadcasters and for RTÜK to fulfill its mandate to secure freedom of expression and media pluralism in Turkey. (HA/VK)