Turkey fines broadcasters for coverage critical of earthquake response

Turkey’s media regulator fined three broadcasters for their coverage of the earthquake in the country’s south that killed more than 42,000 people, an opposition-nominated member of its board said in criticising the decision.

Halk TV, Tele 1 and FOX were all handed fines, calculated based on their revenues for the month beforehand, for reporting shortcomings in the government’s earthquake response.

The three channels are known for editorial lines critical of the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Halk TV is strongly aligned with the CHP party, Turkey’s main opposition.

Erdoğan unleashed a sweeping crackdown after a failed coup in 2016 that placed much of the media under the control of the government and its business allies.

He will seek re-election this year, and his administration’s handling of the quake has become a key battleground. Many destitute families have lashed out at the government for failing to reach them and save their loved ones from the rubble.

The main opposition leader, who is running neck and neck with Erdogan in opinion polls, has spearheaded the criticism.

Turkey in October passed a law punishing the dissemination of “fake news” by up to three years in prison.

According to Reporters Without Borders, Turkey ranked 149 out of 180 for press freedom in 2022.

Halk TV and Tele 1 were fined 5% of their January revenues, said Ilhan Tasci, a member of the regulator’s board who was nominated by opposition parties.

They were also ordered to suspend one of their daily programmes for five days.

Halk TV and FOX TV were also fined 3% of their January turnover for separate infractions, he added.

“All these penalties were based on comments and news after the earthquake,” he wrote.

“We live in a time when reporting is considered a crime.”

The head of Turkey’s Journalists’ Association, Nazmi Bilgin, called the decisions a “crime” against viewers, and described the regulator as a “censorship board”.

“With these penalties, the criminal members of [the regulator], who disregard the right of the public to receive news and the right of the earthquake victims to be informed, commit a great crime,” he said.

The editor-in-chief of Tele 1, Merdan Yanardag, called the penalties a “complete disgrace”.