Media in Turkey

The Turkish parliament's foreign affairs commission approved a bill ratifying Finland's bid to join NATO, state broadcaster TRT Haber reported on Thursday, effectively taking Helsinki another step toward membership of the trans-Atlantic pact.

Turkey has cancelled indefinitely a trilateral mechanism meeting with Sweden and Finland scheduled for February after a weekend protest in Stockholm that drew condemnation from Ankara, state broadcaster TRT reported on Tuesday.

Bülent Özveren, a prominent Turkish TV presenter, mostly known for presenting Eurovision music contests with the national broadcaster TRT between 1975 and 2012, has lost his life at the age of 79.

The news of his death was announced by his wife, Sebla Özveren, in a tweet late on Oct. 17, saying, "Unfortunately, we lost him."

Schools will reopen when its completely safe for around 18 million students, and when to begin physical education classes will be determined in line with the recommendations of the Health Ministry's Coronavirus Science Board, Education Minister Ziya Selçuk has said.

Turkey on March 23 launched TV-based distance learning for around 18 million primary, secondary and high-school students, with Education Minister Ziya Selçuk giving the first lecture as he advised families to create the necessary conditions for their children at home.

Turkey will start a distance education program for around 18 million students through six channels provided by the state-run Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the education minister has said, stressing that nearly 900 million students cannot go to schools worldwide and there is a need for an effective education system for children.

The Turkish government is in the works to prepare a bill that will allow for troop deployment to Libya, and the parliament is expected to discuss the matter after its recess, according to state broadcaster Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT).

The TRT World Forum 2019 is to take place on Oct. 21-22 in the metropolis Istanbul, with the theme "Globalisation in Retreat: Risks and Opportunities".

28 000 packs of medicines illegally imported from Bulgaria were detained in Turkey. The drugs were detained in an operation of the anti-organized crime and smuggling services in Istanbul, reported the state TV channel TRT - "Haber", quoted by the Bulgarian National Radio.

Turkish state radio and television (TRT) banned 208 songs for their content.

"According to the law, TRT has the right to take action on content that includes uncensored expressions, alcohol, cigarettes, etc.," said Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and Government Speaker Bekir Bozdag. According to him, banning songs is not censorship, but it means that TRT does its job.