# Turkiye: the broadcast regulator fines and suspends channels for earthquake coverage

Published 2026-09-23. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. 2 sources.

Status: in effect, as of 2026-09-22.

What we don't know: The source reviewed does not report whether the fines were paid or challenged in court.

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.[1][2][3]

- Country: [Türkiye](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/tr) (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)
- Where: Türkiye
- Level of government: National
- Tactic: Prior restraint
- Stage: Pressure (ladder: https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/prior_restraint#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.
- Head of government at the time: [Recep Tayyip Erdoğan](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/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, 22 February 2023. CPJ called for the penalties to be revoked; the source reviewed does not report that RTUK did so.
- Era: The 2020s

## 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.[1][2][3]

The fines and program suspensions were imposed and, as of the source reviewed, had not been revoked.[1][2][3]

## What reason was given

Not stated in the sources reviewed; RTUK did not respond to a request for comment on its reasoning for the fines and suspensions.[1][2][3]

## 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

- 2023-02-22: Turkiye: the broadcast regulator fines and suspends channels for earthquake coverage

## Who acted

| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Recep Tayyip Erdoğan](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/recep-tayyip-erdogan) | other | President of Türkiye |

## Outlets and journalists

| Name | Kind | Relation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [FOX TV Turkiye](https://thewaronnews.com/outlets/fox-tv-turkey) | outlet | affected |
| [Halk TV](https://thewaronnews.com/outlets/halk-tv) | outlet | affected |
| [TELE1](https://thewaronnews.com/outlets/tele1) | outlet | affected |

## Sources

1. Turkish media watchdog fines broadcasters for criticizing earthquake response. https://cpj.org/2023/02/turkish-media-watchdog-fines-broadcasters-for-criticizing-earthquake-response/ (Committee to Protect Journalists, 2023-02-22).
2. Turkey: Three news outlets fined for critical coverage of govt's earthquake response. https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-three-news-outlets-fined-for-their-earthquake-coverage-565075 (WION, 2023-02-22).

## Claims cited

[1] CPJ said critical journalism during a period of mourning could still help bring about accountability, and called for the penalties to be revoked. 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" Source: Committee to Protect Journalists, 2023-02-22. Turkish media watchdog fines broadcasters for criticizing earthquake response. https://cpj.org/2023/02/turkish-media-watchdog-fines-broadcasters-for-criticizing-earthquake-response/ Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/520, checked 2026-09-22.

[2] RTUK fined Halk TV and TELE1 five percent of January revenue each and FOX TV Turkiye three percent over earthquake coverage. Quote: "Halk TV: 5% of January revenue" Source: Committee to Protect Journalists, 2023-02-22. Turkish media watchdog fines broadcasters for criticizing earthquake response. https://cpj.org/2023/02/turkish-media-watchdog-fines-broadcasters-for-criticizing-earthquake-response/ Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/585, checked 2026-09-22.

[3] RTUK suspended the next five episodes of the Halk TV and TELE1 programs that had aired the criticized coverage. Quote: "The RTÜK also suspended the next five episodes of Halk TV and TELE1 programs that aired the criticism." Source: Committee to Protect Journalists, 2023-02-22. Turkish media watchdog fines broadcasters for criticizing earthquake response. https://cpj.org/2023/02/turkish-media-watchdog-fines-broadcasters-for-criticizing-earthquake-response/ Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/586, checked 2026-09-22.

Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2023-turkiye-rtuk-fines-earthquake-coverage. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.