Opposition criticizes top media watchdog about unequal party coverage

Opposition parties have criticized Turkey’s top media watchdog for not taking action against the country’s state-owned broadcaster TRT, which they say does not adequately cover the opposition while widely covering the government.

“Why don’t you cover our party’s news in your broadcasts? All news channels give live broadcasts whenever the prime minister speaks. We are complaining about this,” Kurdish problem-focused Peoples’ Democracy Party (HDP) Şırnak deputy Hasip Kaplan said during a parliamentary commission on the plans and budget of the state broadcaster, addressing Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTÜK) head Davut Dursun.

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Denizli deputy Adnan Keskin told the same meeting that TRT broadcast the July 1 announcement of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s presidential candidacy for around one hour, while CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu’s speech to his party group meeting on the same day was broadcast for only five minutes.

“I am complaining about this to the RTÜK. We pay taxes as well,” said Keskin.