The Government of the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is strongly criticized by the opposition and independent media for his absence and the lack of reaction during the first days in localities devastated by the earthquake of February 6.
mo12345lemonde with AFP
The Higher Council for Radio-Television of Turkey, RTUK, sanctioned, on Wednesday, February 22, three television channels which had criticized the government for its management of the consequences of the earthquake which struck the south of the country on February 6.
Halk TV, TELE1 and Fox TV channels were sentenced to fines and programs suspensions for “the information and comments they have disseminated about the earthquake”, announced on Twitter Ilhan Tasci, a member Rtuk elected by the opposition.
Halk TV and TELE1 were sentenced to a fine corresponding to 5 % of their turnover in January, as well as to the suspension for five days of one of their daily programs. Another fine corresponding to 3 % of their turnover in January has been imposed on Halk TV and Fox TV.
The three channels are known for their critical editorial line towards the power of the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Halk TV being specially close to the main opposition party, the Republican Party of the People, the CHP (Central left, secular) .
“A censorship commission”
“Again, the RTUK does not surprise us by sanctioning us. Those who have come to power by criticizing the repression now prohibits everything and await that they are obeyed. (…) HALK TV will continue to inform and the Turkey will not stay without news, “reacted window On Twitter Cafer Mahiroglu, the boss of Halk TV.
“Acting as a censorship commission, the RTUK will not manage to hide the truth by sanctioning the channels which postpone the unhappiness of the population in the region affected by the earthquake. The RTUK commits a crime by ignoring the law of the Population to be informed, “said the president of the Turkey Journalists’ Association, Nazmi Bilgin.
The Turkish government is strongly criticized by the opposition and independent media for its absence and the lack of reaction during the first days in localities devastated by the earthquake of a magnitude of 7.8. These criticisms occur three months from the presidential election, scheduled for May 14.
m. Erdogan had recognized last week “gaps” in the organization of help, while insisting on the enormity of the earthquake.
“Their incompetence has cost the lives of tens of thousands of our compatriots,” accused the chief of the CHP, Kemal Kilicdagllu.
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Turkey, which has acquired in October with a law punishing the dissemination of “false news” of sentences going up to three years in prison, points to 149
Access to Twitter had been blocked for a dozen hours in Turkey on February 9 on the country’s main mobile telephony suppliers, accustomed to this practice. Restriction on the social network had aroused multiple criticisms aimed at the government’s response to the earthquake, which killed nearly 46,000 people in Turkey and Syria.