Radio license revoked following on-air 'Armenian Genocide' remarks.
The International Press Institute (IPI) and the undersigned freedom of the press and expression organizations condemn the decision by Turkey’s broadcast regulator to revoke the license of independent radio station Açık Radyo. We call on the authorities in Turkey to uphold their obligations to protect press freedom and freedom of expression in line with the Turkish Constitution and international human rights law, and to reinstate Açık Radyo’s license. Media outlets in Turkey must be free to enable debate on issues of public interest without fear of sanctions.
License Revocation
Turkey’s Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) penalized Açık Radyo in May after a guest made the following remarks on air: “the 109th anniversary of the deportations and massacres, referred to as genocide, that occurred on Ottoman soil. The Armenian genocide commemoration was banned again this year, as you know”. RTÜK accused the station of “inciting hatred or enmity or to foster feelings of hatred in society”, under Article 8 of Law No. 6112 and ordered an administrative fine and a five-day suspension for the same broadcast. Açık Radyo paid the fine but continued to broadcast its programmes, which RTÜK deemed a violation of the conditions set forth in its sanction. In July, RTÜK revoked Açık Radyo’s broadcasting license.
İlhan Taşcı, a member of RTÜK nominated by the country’s main opposition party, CHP, announced RTÜK’s decision over X. Taşcı told IPI: “The issue could have been approached from the perspective of strengthening press freedom, considering that the broadcaster paid the fine. Based on this, a decision favoring the broadcaster could have been made – one that upholds press freedom while ensuring the public does not lose a radio station that has operated for 30 years”.
In its press release, Açık Radyo protested RTÜK’s decision with the following words: “It is unacceptable that, on the basis of an expression, which indisputably stands within the scope of freedom of expression and press freedom, voiced during our program ‘Açık Gazete’, we now face the revocation of Açık Radyo’s broadcast license.” Launched in 1995, Açık Radyo (Open Radio in English) is an independent, not-for-profit media organization.
Continued Harassment of Independent Media
The revocation of Açık Radyo’s license comes amid a series of penalties that RTÜK has imposed on six different TV and radio channels this year. These media outlets, known for their critical reporting, include Now TV, which was fined four times, and Tele1, which was fined three times. In most cases, the channels were given a 2% administrative fine.
In the case of Açık Radyo, the remarks in question are clearly covered by the right to freedom of expression as guaranteed by international human rights law, including the European Convention on Human Rights. We urgently call on RTÜK to swiftly reinstate Açık Radyo’s license.
More broadly, we call on RTÜK to act according to its mandate and secure freedom of expression and media pluralism in the country instead of censoring critical and independent media. We also call on the Turkish authorities to reconsider their approach toward media regulation.
This statement was produced by IPI as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and candidate countries, funded by the European Commission.
