Turkey’s broadcasting regulator targets opposition TV stations in 2025, spares pro-government outlets

31.12.2025

By SCF

Source:https://stockholmcf.org/turkeys-broadcasting-regulator-targets-opposition-tv-stations-in-2025-spares-pro-government-outlets/

The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), Turkey’s broadcasting regulator, issued 52 sanctions in 2025 targeting opposition TV stations, while pro-government channels received none.

İlhan Taşçı, a board member of RTÜK from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), said the total amount of fines was 92,790,898 lira (around $2.16 million). SZC TV received the most fines (16), followed by TELE1 (15).

TELE1 was placed under government trusteeship on October 24 and received no further fines after the appointment. Its editor-in-chief, Merdan Yanardağ, was detained the same day and subsequently arrested, accused of spying in an investigation that targets jailed İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a senior member of the CHP and the main political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Opposition stations also faced 29 broadcasting suspensions and 50 fines. Program stoppages totaling 25 days were applied to only three pro-opposition channels — Halk TV (10 days), SZC TV (10 days) and TELE1 (5 days).

Taşçı recalled that RTÜK even fined a broadcaster for airing a live broadcast of a rally staged by CHP leader Özgür Özel. TELE1 was sanctioned for broadcasting a speech by Özel, who in his address accused President Erdoğan of leading a “civilian coup” against the will of the people with the arrest of the mayor of İstanbul and other CHP members. The program aired the subtitle “Coup leader Erdoğan.”

Dr. Necdet İpekyüz, another RTÜK board member and former Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) lawmaker, noted that 87 percent of the sanctions were concentrated on the five stations most critical of the government.

The main reasons for the sanctions were “violations of national and moral values, general morality and family protection” and “demeaning, insulting or defamatory content.” TELE1 received nine fines under these provisions, followed by Halk TV and SZC TV with six each.

Digital platforms were also sanctioned with content removals from their catalogues 10 times. Fines for digital platforms totaled 2,888,844 lira (around $68,000).

RTÜK’s board members are appointed in proportion to the number of seats held by political parties in parliament, meaning that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) currently dominates the agency.

RTÜK has been criticized by press freedom groups for systematically censoring opposition media to silence dissenting voices and enforce a pro-government media narrative.

According to Expression Interrupted, a press freedom monitoring group, 29 journalists are currently behind bars in Turkey. The country’s deteriorating media landscape was further highlighted in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which ranked Turkey 159th out of 180 nations.