The War On News

A record of government actions against journalism and fact-based reporting, from the first press laws to today

Incident

Türkiye: the broadcast regulator fines and suspends channels for earthquake coverage

TürkiyeRSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180

Engraving of an empty press briefing room with a lectern and rows of chairs

Türkiye's broadcast regulator, RTUK, fined three television channels and suspended the next five episodes of two of their programs after they aired criticism of the government's response to the February 2023 earthquakes.123

What happened

On February 22, 2023, Türkiye's Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK), the state broadcast regulator, fined three television channels, Halk TV and TELE1 at five percent of their January revenue each and FOX TV Türkiye at three percent, over broadcasts criticizing the government's response to earthquakes that had struck the country weeks earlier and killed tens of thousands of people. RTUK also suspended the next five episodes of the specific Halk TV and TELE1 programs that had aired the criticism, barring those programs from airing at all for that period regardless of content. The Committee to Protect Journalists said it emailed RTUK for comment but received no response, and called for the fines and suspensions to be revoked, saying critical journalism during a period of mourning could be harsh but could also help bring about accountability.123

The fines and program suspensions were imposed and, as of the source reviewed, had not been revoked.123

What reason was given

Stated justification

Not stated in the sources reviewed; RTUK did not respond to a request for comment on its reasoning for the fines and suspensions.123

What changed for reporting

Three broadcasters were fined over their earthquake coverage and two had specific programs barred from airing for five future episodes regardless of content, a forward-looking restriction on what they could broadcast next.1

Timeline

2023

22 February 2023
Türkiye: the broadcast regulator fines and suspends channels for earthquake coverage

Who acted

NameRole in this incidentOffice at the time
Recep Tayyip ErdoğanotherPresident of Türkiye

Outlets and journalists

NameKindRelation
FOX TV Türkiyeoutletaffected
Halk TVoutletaffected
TELE1outletaffected

Sources

  1. Turkish media watchdog fines broadcasters for criticizing earthquake responseCommittee to Protect Journalists, 2023-02-22, reporting. Source record
  2. Turkey: Three news outlets fined for critical coverage of govt's earthquake responseWION, 2023-02-22, reporting. Source record

Claims and evidence

Each numbered claim quotes the source it rests on.

  1. CPJ said critical journalism during a period of mourning could still help bring about accountability, and called for the penalties to be revoked.Critical journalism during a time of mourning for the tens of thousands of lives lost to the earthquakes may appear harsh, but it can also pave the way to justiceTurkish media watchdog fines broadcasters for criticizing earthquake response, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2023-02-22.Claim 520, checked 2026-09-22.
  2. RTUK fined Halk TV and TELE1 five percent of January revenue each and FOX TV Türkiye three percent over earthquake coverage.Halk TV: 5% of January revenueTurkish media watchdog fines broadcasters for criticizing earthquake response, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2023-02-22.Claim 1011, checked 2026-09-22.
  3. RTUK suspended the next five episodes of the Halk TV and TELE1 programs that had aired the criticized coverage.The RTÜK also suspended the next five episodes of Halk TV and TELE1 programs that aired the criticism.Turkish media watchdog fines broadcasters for criticizing earthquake response, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2023-02-22.Claim 586, checked 2026-09-22.