Turkey’s broadcasting regulator issued 41 sanctions due to broadcast content in the first six months of 2026, including 39 fines totaling about $2.3 million and two warnings, the ANKA news agency reported on Friday, citing a member of the regulator.
Tuncay Keser, a member of the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), said 30 of the sanctions were imposed on 18 television stations, which were fined a combined TL 108.8 million ($2.2 million).
Government critic NOW TV received the highest number of sanctions, with five, followed by pro-opposition Halk TV with four and Sözcü TV, another broadcaster critical of the government, with three. Kanal D, Show TV and local broadcaster Malatya Vuslat TV were each sanctioned twice.
The pro-government ATV and Star TV, TV8, Beyaz TV, Koza TV, CNBC-e, beIN Sports 1, TLC, Ulusal 1, Kanal 26, EkinTürk TV and Yıldız En each received one sanction.
Radio stations were fined a combined TL 360,000 ($7,500). Kafa Radyo received two sanctions, while Radyo Lider İzmir and İmaj Radyo each received one.
RTÜK also imposed sanctions on digital platforms. HBO Max received two fines and two orders to remove content from its catalog, while Netflix, Prime Video, MUBI, Disney+ and Spotify each received one fine and one catalog-removal order. Fines imposed on digital platforms totaled TL 2.8 million ($58,470).
Keser said the figures represented a shift from 2025, when journalism and news reporting were a major focus of RTÜK sanctions, toward television series and daytime programs in the first half of 2026.
“Twenty-seven sanctions were imposed on 15 separate media service providers over violent and sexually explicit images in series and films and content in daytime programs that could negatively affect the moral development of children and young people,” he added.
Keser said four stations received seven separate penalties over news and commentary programs for exceeding the limits of criticism and violating the principle of impartiality.
The report did not specify which outlets received the warnings or the broadcasts that prompted them.
According to Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), RTÜK imposed at least 46 sanctions in the first six months of 2025, 42 of them targeting critical outlets, with total fines approaching TL 100 million.
RTÜK’s board members are appointed in proportion to political parties’ representation in parliament, giving the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) effective dominance over the body. The regulator has long faced criticism from opposition parties and press freedom advocates, who accuse it of disproportionately targeting independent and opposition broadcasters.
RTÜK can impose administrative sanctions under Law No. 6112 ranging from warnings and fines to program suspensions, temporary broadcasting bans and license revocations.
This article is republished from Turkish Minute.
