Turkey's media watchdog cancels TV channels' licenses for first time based on state of emergency decree

Turkey's media watchdog Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) cancelled licenses for five TV channels, after the latter did not heed the council's broadcasting ban of 10 days, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on July 20. 

RTÜK's supreme board announced this decision on July 19 based on its authority from a previously published state of emergency decree, numbered 690, in a ruling utilized for the first time.

The state of emergency decree gives the RTÜK the right to cancel a media service provider's license in the event of the violation of a ban.  

Accordingly, the licenses of Anadolu Yurdum TV, Genç TV, HLT TV, Son Hedef TV and Yeni Sinema TV were cancelled.

These five TV channels were also fined by RTÜK previously, required to pay the highest limit of five percent of their income after broadcasting programs were assessed to be "immoral and conning" with advertisements of weapons, sexually explicit products, dating hotlines and food supplements.

The 60th article of the 690 numbered state of emergency decree forbid the media channels from advertisements for health products, including those of food and vitamin supplements and for dating hotlines.

The decree also said that awards and prizes cannot be promised for viewers and listeners under the title of a competition, lottery or such as these would lead to ill-gotten gains. 

The decree provided the RTÜK with the authority of cancelling the license of a media service provider if it broadcasted such programs three times a year.