"YSK's TRT Decision Need be More Sound Than That of RTÜK"

The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) in their June 16 meeting discussed once again the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation’s (TRT) broadcast. Failing to procure the necessary five votes confirming TRT’s rights violation, the council sent the reports on TRT Türk, TRT Avaz and TRT6 channels to the Supreme Electoral Council of Turkey (YSK).

RTÜK member Assoc. Prof. Ahmet Yıldırım told bianet that the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) presidential candidate Selahattin Demirtaş’s screen time had increased to 60 minutes after the public reaction to last week’s RTÜK debate, but added that this had still not leveled the playing field.

"Three citizens of Turkey are competing"

“An approach asserting, ‘They do feature him; what else can they do,’ is unacceptable. TRT once again allocated a great majority of its broadcast to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, on the second week of the electoral calendar.

“In the local elections, there were tens of parties, hundreds of candidates. In that case, it’s evidently impossible to ensure equal screen time. However, three citizens of the Republic of Turkey are competing in the presidential elections. Private channel broadcasts and especially the TRT have to be fair in this situation.

"I trust the Supreme Electoral Council"

“Even according to the numbers declared by RTÜK Deputy Chair Hasan Tahsin Fendoğlu, it appears TRT allocated 19 minutes to Demirtaş and 559 minutes to Erdoğan. Some RTÜK members hold that other violations are important, not the broadcast duration. I personally think that this is a guise to the political pressure on the board members.

“Nevertheless, YSK is a more sound judicial authority. I think they will make the right decision. Perhaps TRT will not be able to attain equality in these elections, but I think it will get better. We are responsible in this matter as the supreme council. We cannot serve our constitutional duty so long as other candidates’ efforts are laid to waste.”

TRT's biased broadcast

The report prepared by Assoc. Prof. Yıldırım, RTÜK’s Peace and Democratic Party (BDP) quota member presents similar data. Assoc. Prof. Yıldırım’s study states that on July 4, 5, and 6 the three TRT channels featured Erdoğan for 533 minutes, İhsanoğlu for 3 minutes 25 seconds, and Demirtaş for 45 seconds.

According to Press Council data, while TRT Türk channel broadcast allocated 30 minutes to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on July 3, they did not feature the other two candidates Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu or Selahattin Demirtaş at all. On July 4, Erdoğan was featured for 1 hour 20 seconds, İhsanoğlu for 1 minute, and Demirtaş, once again, not at all.

Fendoğlu had declared that TRT News had featured Erdoğan for 559 minutes, umbrella candidate Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu for 137 minutes, and Demirtaş for 19 minutes between June 29 and July 10.

Media Communication and Postal Employees Union (Haber-Sen) had called RTÜK and YSK to duty on the matter, while the Press Council had applied to YSK, and Demirtaş to Ankara Chief Public Prosecution, charging TRT with unconstitutional conduct. (EA/HK/PU)