A Turkish court has blocked the website of Voice of America’s (VOA) Turkish service after the international broadcaster refused to file a license application as demanded by the Turkish government’s telecommunications regulator, RTÜK, citing a risk of censorship. The regulation requiring online broadcasters to obtain a license from RTÜK went into force on August 1, 2019. In 2022, the online broadcast license fee was 182.168 Turkish Liras.

IPI has previously warned that as the regulator has a proven pattern of harassing independent media, the license demand puts international media operating in Turkey online under increased state scrutiny and risks making them the target of fines and even broadcast bans.

On August 28, the Freedom of Expression Association (İFÖD) reported that the website of VoA’s Turkish service was blocked across Turkey upon the request of RTÜK. According to İFÖD, the Ankara 9th Criminal Court of Peace blocked access to the website on the grounds that it provided online broadcasting services without acquiring the necessary broadcasting license.

This marks the second time VOA’s website has been blocked in the country. In July 2022, a Turkish court blocked the websites of VOA and Deutsche Welle (DW) citing their refusal to file a license application to RTÜK. Back then, VOA Acting Director Yolanda López objected to RTÜK’s license demand by characterizing it as “a thinly veiled effort to censor unfavourable press coverage”.

In March 2023, the blocking of DW’s website was followed by the decision of the Turkish authorities to not renew the operating license of the German broadcaster, effectively depriving DW’s Turkish staff of work contracts and social security benefits.

Speaking to IPI, Kenan Şener, journalist and Secretary General of the Association of Journalists, said that “RTÜK has ceased to be a regulatory body and has turned into a censorship board. The blocking of international broadcasters is nothing but another step towards the consolidation of a monolithic media environment. The case of VOA does not constitute an issue of licensing, but of blatant censorship. As the Association of Journalists, we condemn it. In these times of heightened penalties and increased censorship, it is imperative to safeguard media pluralism“. The Association of Journalists has recently reported that in the first half of 2023, RTÜK imposed a total of 60 fines on independent media outlets in the country.

“Instead of censoring international media, RTÜK should act according to its mandate and secure freedom of expression and media pluralism in the country”, IPI Deputy Director Scott Griffen said. “We call on RTÜK to swiftly lift all restrictions on VOA.”