Turkish Radio and Television Association (TRT) continues to selectively broadcast among Presidential candidates. The public channel neither broadcasts on the opposition parties, nor on the Presidential candidates of such parties. According to a study made by the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), TRT did not broadcast on Felicity Party (SP) or People’s Democratic Party (HDP) even for one second in the three-week period between April 17 and May 6, since the declaration of the early elections. On the other hand, TRT broadcasted on the Presidential Alliance formed by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) for a total of 37 hours and 40 minutes.
During this period, Republican People’s Party (CHP)’s Presidential candidate Muharrem İnce took place on the channel for 27 minutes and 20 seconds. Good Party candidate Meral Akşener, on the other hand, took place for only 9.5 minutes. The total time assigned for CHP on TRT screens was calculated as 3 hours, 4 minutes and 28 seconds. The majority of this sum is the GNAT Group Speech of CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
The majority of the broadcast on the AKP-MHP alliance, on the other hand, consists of live broadcasts of President Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım, MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli, Presidential Spokesman İbrahim Kalın, Government Spokesman Bekir Bozdağ, AKP Spokesman Mahir Ünal and other ministers.
With a Statutory Decree issued within the State of Emergency, the government separated TRT from private TV channels, made a definition of single broadcasting and the related violation; whereas exempted private TV channels from the sanctions to be brought in case of violation. TRT, on the other hand, can not be penalized by RTÜK by law. However, the decision made on the violation of broadcasting ethics must be sent to the Deputy Prime Minister. The only sanctions on TRT can be applied with the decision of the Prime Ministry.
14.05.2018
cumhuriyet.com.tr