Turkey’s broadcast regulator has fined two national television stations and ordered global streaming platforms Disney+ and Spotify to remove content from their catalogs, citing alleged violations of public morality, gender equality and advertising rules.
According to the Birgün daily, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) announced five separate sanctions against Show TV, NOW TV, Disney+ and Spotify.
RTÜK imposed a 2 percent fine on Show TV. The fine was imposed over scenes in the drama series “Veliaht” that the council said “normalized violence.”
Under Turkish law, RTÜK fines are calculated as a share of a broadcaster or platform’s gross monthly revenue in Turkey, meaning the penalties increase with the size of the company.
NOW TV was given a 2 percent fine over two episodes of the series “Halef: Köklerin Çağrısı” broadcast on December 11 and 18, 2025. RTÜK said the show violated rules banning content that promotes discrimination against women, citing the storyline of a married man taking a second wife as contrary to gender equality.
The station was also fined an additional 1 percent over five episodes of its sports program “Efsane Futbol,” which RTÜK said exceeded the limits on product placement and promotion.
RTÜK also ordered Disney+ and Spotify to remove unspecified content from their catalogs and imposed 2 percent fines on both platforms.
Disney+ was penalized over episodes of the comedy talk show “Konuşanlar,” which the regulator said contained slang and expressions that violated “national and moral values and public decency.”
Spotify was fined and ordered to remove some playlists and song titles that RTÜK said included slang and content “contrary to national and moral values.”
RTÜK has long been criticized by opposition politicians, journalists and media rights groups for using broadly worded morality and public values rules to target content that conflicts with the government’s conservative and political priorities, while overlooking similar violations by pro-government broadcasters.
RTÜK’s board members are appointed in proportion to the number of seats held by political parties in parliament, meaning that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) currently dominates the agency.
Turkey, which has been suffering from a poor record of freedom of the press for years, ranks 159th among 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index published earlier this month.
