Three international broadcasters face online silence in Turkey

10 February 2022

Three international broadcasters have been told their online services in Turkey will be silenced unless they apply for licences. 

DW, Voice of America and Euronews all face online blackouts in Turkey unless they apply for licences within 72 hours of an announcement made by Turkey’s media regulator RTUK on 9 February 2022.

“A decision was taken with a majority of votes that 72 hours be granted to the websites of amerikaninsesi.com, dw.com/tr, and tr.euronews.com to get licenses,” Ilhan Tasci, a member of RTUK’s board, said on Twitter.

Licences for online broadcasting cost 13,375 Turkish Lira (€865) for radio and 133,750 Turkish Lira (€8648) for television. Licences are granted for ten year periods. 

A new law came into force in 2019 that requires all broadcasters delivering online radio or TV services to apply for a licence, as well as establishing a Turkey-based company to represent them. It is unclear which services have already acquired licences as the RTUK website does not appear to provide details of licensees. Reports carried in the Turkish press suggest that streaming services Netflix and Amazon Prime acquired licences in 2020 to cover their Turkish operations. 

According to the International Press Institute, the regulator’s “decision puts international independent media operating in Turkey online under state scrutiny and risks making them the target of fines and even broadcast bans.”

Voice of America spokesperson Bridget Serchak said: “VOA believes any governmental efforts to silence news outlets is a violation of press freedom, a core value of all democratic societies.

“Should the Turkish government formally block our websites, VOA will make every effort to ensure that its Turkish-speaking audience retains access to a free and open internet using all available methods.” 

A DW spokesman said: “We have learned from the media about a possible decision by the RTÜK that could also have implications for DW.”

“However, we will be able to make a conclusive analysis and decide how to proceed only once we have received official notification from the authority.”

Turkey is a signatory to the European Convention of Transfrontier Television. This allows TV channels licensed in another ECTT signatory country to broadcast in Turkey, and Turkish channels to broadcast in all other ECTT signatory nations. Turkey operates international news channel TRT WORLD that is available on cable, satellite and online platforms in territories worldwide.