OSCE Media Freedom Representative expresses regrets over ban on Deutsche Welle and Voice of America portals in Türkiye, calls upon authorities to revise regulation
VIENNA, 5 July 2022 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, today expressed her regrets about the recent access ban imposed on portals of the two international broadcasters Deutsche Welle and Voice of America.
The Representative’s comments followed last week’s decision by the Ankara First Criminal Court of Peace to ban the two broadcasters for failing to comply with a request of the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) to apply for an online broadcasting license within the 72-hour deadline in late February 2022.
“The banning of these two news media is a blow to media freedom in the OSCE region and in Türkiye,” the Representative stated. “Not only does it jeopardize the media space for independent and critical journalism, it also strips the public’s undeniable right to freely access information from diverse sources without undue hindrance.”
The basis of this ban is the so-called ‘Regulation on the Presentation of Radio, Television and On-Demand Broadcasting on the Internet’. This regulation was passed in 2019 and mandates all online media service providers to obtain mandatory licensing from RTÜK that provide radio, television and on-demand broadcasting services online targeting the Turkish audience.
The Representative criticized the regulation for being too broadly formulated, while requiring adherence to a wide range of complex rules, with the possible sanction of removal of content based on a wide and loosely defined range of grounds.
“International obligations and standards, including OSCE principles and commitments, prescribe a high bar when considering possible restrictions on broadcasting by media outlets. Such restrictions always have to be legitimate and fall under the scrutiny of a functioning, independent regulatory system, with the possibility to appeal restrictive decisions. I therefore call upon the Turkish authorities to revise the widely-interpreted and burdensome licensing and control regime as well as ensure adequate legal remedies,” the Representative stated.
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom