Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman dismisses US 'concerns' about broadcast licensing

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK) urged three international broadcasters to apply for an online broadcasting license as a Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman stressed Wednesday it is a “technical requirement."

US State Department spokesman Ned Price expressed "concern" on Twitter about RTUK's requirement, claiming that the decision to ask for licensing is "to expand government control over free press outlets by applying broadcasting requirements to Voice of America Turkish and other online outlets."

Tanju Bilgic responded on the microblogging platform and wrote, "License application is not an obstacle for broadcasting, it is a mere technical requirement."

"TRT (Turkish Radio and Television Corporation) abides by relevant regulations for its activities in the U.S. Is that censorship? We expect the same from Voice of America Turkish and others," Bilgic added.

In line with the new regulation, online content providers should obtain a new license and comply with RTUK’s guidelines to continue broadcasting in Turkiye.

Online streaming services Netflix and Amazon Prime Video obtained licenses in late 2020 by complying with new RTUK online broadcasting rules.