Turkiye's communications chief responds to 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 the head of the Turkish Communications Directorate on Thursday said "US does not get to criticize Turkiye’s regulations."

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."

Fahrettin Altun responded on the microblogging platform and wrote, "Sovereignty and reciprocity are cornerstones of international relations."

"The U.S. does not get to criticize Türkiye’s regulations whilst regulating the activities of foreign media organizations on American soil," he said. "The age of inequality in bilateral relations is over."

Previously, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic on Twitter said, "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.