Deutsche Welle and Voice of America announced today that they will not apply, as requested by the competent Turkish Broadcasting Council, for a license, a decision that could lead to the closure of their websites in this country.
On Monday, Turkish RTUK gave Deutsche Welle, Voice of America and Euronews a 72-hour deadline to apply for licenses to operate in Turkey. Peter Limburg, general manager of Deutsche Welle, said the move was an attempt to curb international media, adding that the German group would appeal to Turkish courts.
"(The measure) gives the Turkish authorities the option to block the entire service, based on individual critical reports, unless these reports are deleted. "This opens up the possibility of censorship," he explained.
The RTUK, whose majority is made up of members of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) and his allies, often imposes fines on radio stations that criticize the government. Last month, he fined Tele 1 TV station for inciting hatred, after journalist Sedef Kampas said a proverb that, according to prosecutors, amounts to insulting the president. Kampas was remanded in custody pending her trial.
Voice of America reported that there were concerns that a license from RTUK would amount to a mandate from a regulator "for censorship or removal of content". She also posted an article on Twitter listing ways to view her site if access from Turkey is blocked.
Expressing concern over RTUK's decision, a State Department spokesman wrote on Twitter: "A free media is essential for a strong democracy."
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said licensing was a technical issue, not an obstacle.
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