(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, RSF protested the “one day suspension of the CNN-Turk television station by the RTÜK (High Board of Radio and Television)”. RSF also asked the prime minister to “see to it that this regulatory body end its arbitrary suspensions of radio and television stations”. The […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, RSF protested the “one day suspension of the CNN-Turk television station by the RTÜK (High Board of Radio and Television)”. RSF also asked the prime minister to “see to it that this regulatory body end its arbitrary suspensions of radio and television stations”. The organisation recalled that “since the beginning of the year, the RTÜK has already suspended eleven radio stations and five television stations for a total of 1414 days”.
According to information collected by RSF, the contents of a debate broadcast by the station on 13 January 2000 were deemed “separatist” by the RTÜK. The programme concerned Western reactions to the eventual execution of Abdullah Ocalan, head of the Kurdistan Workers Party. This is the first time since the launch of the twenty-four hour news station in October 1999 that it has been suspended by the RTÜK. CNN-Turk is a joint venture between the Turkish Dogan Media Group and the American station CNN.
