ANKARA (Middle East Eye) – Turkey’s media watchdog has blocked access to U.S.-based Voice of America (VOA) and German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) for not applying for mandatory licenses.
In February, DW and VOA said they would not apply for licenses in Turkey as requested by the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK) under the country’s media regulation law, which critics say aims to increase censorship.
Ilhan Tasci, an RTUK board member from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), said on Twitter on Thursday that access to DW’s Turkish-language service, DW Turkce, and VOA had been blocked by a court decision.
“Access to DW Turkce and Voice of America, which did not apply for licences, has been blocked by the Ankara Criminal Court of Peace, upon the request of the RTUK board,” Tasci said.
Middle East Eye has verified that the websites of the two broadcasters were inaccessible in Turkey on Friday.
Speaking in February, DW director general Peter Limbourg said: “After having subjected the local media outlets in Turkey to such regulation, an attempt is now being made to restrict the reporting of international media services.
“This move does not relate to formal aspects of broadcasting, but to the journalistic content itself. It gives the Turkish authorities the option to block the entire service based on individual, critical reports unless these reports are deleted.
Turks have increasingly resorted to alternative outlets, some foreign-owned and social media for news.
RTUK, whose policymaking board is dominated by Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its allies, frequently fines broadcasters that are critical of the government.
The debate on a draft bill on media laws that was dubbed a “censorship bill” by critics was postponed until parliament reopens in the autumn, an AKP deputy, Mahir Unal, said this week.