{
  "id": 146,
  "slug": "2023-turkiye-rtuk-fines-earthquake-coverage",
  "title": "Turkiye: the broadcast regulator fines and suspends channels for earthquake coverage",
  "occurred_on": "2023-02-22",
  "occurred_on_precision": "day",
  "ended_on": null,
  "jurisdiction": "TR",
  "country": "TR",
  "continent": "asia",
  "level": "national",
  "type": null,
  "tactic_primary": "prior_restraint",
  "leader_slug": "recep-tayyip-erdogan",
  "issue_of_the_day": "Earthquakes in southern Turkiye in early February 2023 killed more than 50,000 people and drew widespread criticism of the government's building codes and disaster response.",
  "outcome": "sustained",
  "outcome_on": "2023-02-22",
  "outcome_note": "CPJ called for the penalties to be revoked; the source reviewed does not report that RTUK did so.",
  "granularity": "granular",
  "era": "2020s",
  "summary": "Turkiye'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.{c:520}{c:585}{c:586}",
  "what_happened": "On February 22, 2023, Turkiye'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 Turkiye 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.{c:520}{c:585}{c:586}\n\nThe fines and program suspensions were imposed and, as of the source reviewed, had not been revoked.{c:520}{c:585}{c:586}",
  "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.{c:520}{c:585}{c:586}",
  "effect_on_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.{c:520}",
  "unknowns": "The source reviewed does not report whether the fines were paid or challenged in court.",
  "status": "in_effect",
  "status_updated_on": "2026-09-22",
  "external_ids": {},
  "illustration_key": null,
  "pub_state": "published",
  "published_at": "2026-09-23T01:16:37Z",
  "reviewed_on": "2026-09-22",
  "next_review_on": "2026-12-22",
  "revision": 9,
  "created_at": "2026-09-23T01:16:31Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-09-23T02:20:50Z",
  "stage": "pressure",
  "ladder_note": "A national regulator barred two programs from airing at all for five future episodes over their earthquake coverage, a forward restriction rather than a single broadcast ban.",
  "country_name": "Türkiye",
  "tactics": [
    "prior_restraint"
  ],
  "leader": {
    "slug": "recep-tayyip-erdogan",
    "name": "Recep Tayyip Erdoğan",
    "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/recep-tayyip-erdogan"
  },
  "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2023-turkiye-rtuk-fines-earthquake-coverage",
  "page_meta": {
    "published": "2026-09-23T01:16:37Z",
    "reviewed": "2026-09-22",
    "sources": 2,
    "status": "in_effect",
    "statusAsOf": "2026-09-22",
    "unknowns": "The source reviewed does not report whether the fines were paid or challenged in court."
  },
  "actors": [
    {
      "slug": "recep-tayyip-erdogan",
      "name": "Recep Tayyip Erdoğan",
      "kind": "person",
      "role": "other",
      "role_at_time": null,
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/actors/recep-tayyip-erdogan"
    }
  ],
  "outlets": [
    {
      "slug": "fox-tv-turkey",
      "name": "FOX TV Turkiye",
      "relation": "affected",
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/outlets/fox-tv-turkey"
    },
    {
      "slug": "halk-tv",
      "name": "Halk TV",
      "relation": "affected",
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/outlets/halk-tv"
    },
    {
      "slug": "tele1",
      "name": "TELE1",
      "relation": "affected",
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/outlets/tele1"
    }
  ],
  "journalists": [],
  "cases": [],
  "related": [],
  "events": [],
  "claims": [
    {
      "id": 520,
      "subject_type": "incident",
      "subject_id": 146,
      "field": "effect_on_reporting",
      "value": "CPJ calls for reversal",
      "statement": "CPJ said critical journalism during a period of mourning could still help bring about accountability, and called for the penalties to be revoked.",
      "attribution": null,
      "source_id": 352,
      "evidence_quote": "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 justice",
      "evidence_date": "2023-02-22",
      "method": "outlet_report",
      "verified_at": "2026-09-22",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "status": "current",
      "supersedes_id": null,
      "superseded_by": null,
      "supersede_reason": null,
      "batch_label": "seed-2026-09-22",
      "created_at": "2026-09-23T01:16:35Z",
      "source": {
        "id": 352,
        "url": "https://cpj.org/2023/02/turkish-media-watchdog-fines-broadcasters-for-criticizing-earthquake-response/",
        "final_url": "https://cpj.org/2023/02/turkish-media-watchdog-fines-broadcasters-for-criticizing-earthquake-response/",
        "title": "Turkish media watchdog fines broadcasters for criticizing earthquake response",
        "publisher": "Committee to Protect Journalists",
        "published_on": "2023-02-22",
        "link_state": "live",
        "link_state_since": "2026-09-22T12:00:00Z",
        "wayback_url": null,
        "wayback_saved_at": null
      },
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/claims/520"
    },
    {
      "id": 585,
      "subject_type": "incident",
      "subject_id": 146,
      "field": "action",
      "value": "fines, February 22, 2023",
      "statement": "RTUK fined Halk TV and TELE1 five percent of January revenue each and FOX TV Turkiye three percent over earthquake coverage.",
      "attribution": null,
      "source_id": 352,
      "evidence_quote": "Halk TV: 5% of January revenue",
      "evidence_date": "2023-02-22",
      "method": "outlet_report",
      "verified_at": "2026-09-22",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "status": "current",
      "supersedes_id": null,
      "superseded_by": null,
      "supersede_reason": null,
      "batch_label": "seed-2026-09-22",
      "created_at": "2026-09-23T01:31:48Z",
      "source": {
        "id": 352,
        "url": "https://cpj.org/2023/02/turkish-media-watchdog-fines-broadcasters-for-criticizing-earthquake-response/",
        "final_url": "https://cpj.org/2023/02/turkish-media-watchdog-fines-broadcasters-for-criticizing-earthquake-response/",
        "title": "Turkish media watchdog fines broadcasters for criticizing earthquake response",
        "publisher": "Committee to Protect Journalists",
        "published_on": "2023-02-22",
        "link_state": "live",
        "link_state_since": "2026-09-22T12:00:00Z",
        "wayback_url": null,
        "wayback_saved_at": null
      },
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/claims/585"
    },
    {
      "id": 586,
      "subject_type": "incident",
      "subject_id": 146,
      "field": "action",
      "value": "five-episode suspension",
      "statement": "RTUK suspended the next five episodes of the Halk TV and TELE1 programs that had aired the criticized coverage.",
      "attribution": null,
      "source_id": 352,
      "evidence_quote": "The RTÜK also suspended the next five episodes of Halk TV and TELE1 programs that aired the criticism.",
      "evidence_date": "2023-02-22",
      "method": "outlet_report",
      "verified_at": "2026-09-22",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "status": "current",
      "supersedes_id": null,
      "superseded_by": null,
      "supersede_reason": null,
      "batch_label": "seed-2026-09-22",
      "created_at": "2026-09-23T01:31:49Z",
      "source": {
        "id": 352,
        "url": "https://cpj.org/2023/02/turkish-media-watchdog-fines-broadcasters-for-criticizing-earthquake-response/",
        "final_url": "https://cpj.org/2023/02/turkish-media-watchdog-fines-broadcasters-for-criticizing-earthquake-response/",
        "title": "Turkish media watchdog fines broadcasters for criticizing earthquake response",
        "publisher": "Committee to Protect Journalists",
        "published_on": "2023-02-22",
        "link_state": "live",
        "link_state_since": "2026-09-22T12:00:00Z",
        "wayback_url": null,
        "wayback_saved_at": null
      },
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/claims/586"
    },
    {
      "id": 705,
      "subject_type": "incident",
      "subject_id": 146,
      "field": "action",
      "value": "outlet: reporting treated as a crime",
      "statement": "WION reported a Turkish broadcaster's response that RTUK's penalties were based on earthquake-related coverage and that reporting was being treated as a crime.",
      "attribution": null,
      "source_id": 428,
      "evidence_quote": "All these penalties were based on comments and news after the earthquake. We live in a time when reporting is considered a crime.",
      "evidence_date": "2023-02-22",
      "method": "outlet_report",
      "verified_at": "2026-09-22",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "status": "current",
      "supersedes_id": null,
      "superseded_by": null,
      "supersede_reason": null,
      "batch_label": "v3-second-sources-2026-09-22",
      "created_at": "2026-09-23T02:20:50Z",
      "source": {
        "id": 428,
        "url": "https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-three-news-outlets-fined-for-their-earthquake-coverage-565075",
        "final_url": null,
        "title": "Turkey: Three news outlets fined for critical coverage of govt's earthquake response",
        "publisher": "WION",
        "published_on": "2023-02-22",
        "link_state": "unchecked",
        "link_state_since": null,
        "wayback_url": null,
        "wayback_saved_at": null
      },
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/claims/705"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": 352,
      "url": "https://cpj.org/2023/02/turkish-media-watchdog-fines-broadcasters-for-criticizing-earthquake-response/",
      "final_url": "https://cpj.org/2023/02/turkish-media-watchdog-fines-broadcasters-for-criticizing-earthquake-response/",
      "title": "Turkish media watchdog fines broadcasters for criticizing earthquake response",
      "publisher": "Committee to Protect Journalists",
      "published_on": "2023-02-22",
      "link_state": "live",
      "link_state_since": "2026-09-22T12:00:00Z",
      "wayback_url": null,
      "wayback_saved_at": null
    },
    {
      "id": 428,
      "url": "https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-three-news-outlets-fined-for-their-earthquake-coverage-565075",
      "final_url": null,
      "title": "Turkey: Three news outlets fined for critical coverage of govt's earthquake response",
      "publisher": "WION",
      "published_on": "2023-02-22",
      "link_state": "unchecked",
      "link_state_since": null,
      "wayback_url": null,
      "wayback_saved_at": null
    }
  ],
  "revisions_url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2023-turkiye-rtuk-fines-earthquake-coverage/revisions",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
  },
  "cite_as": "Turkiye: the broadcast regulator fines and suspends channels for earthquake coverage. The War On News, thewaronnews.com. https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2023-turkiye-rtuk-fines-earthquake-coverage. Retrieved 2026-09-23."
}