The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) imposed an administrative fine of 189,282 TL and suspended five programs for a statement made by a radio station. The statement referenced the 109th anniversary of the deportations and massacres of Armenians, describing these events as the “massacres that took place in the Ottoman lands” and labeling them as genocide. Furthermore, it noted that “this year the commemoration was banned.”
RTÜK stated in the decision that “the broadcast subject to the violation ‘…is the 109th anniversary, the anniversary of the deportations and massacres that took place in the Ottoman lands, the massacres that are called genocide. The statements such as ‘you know that the commemoration was banned this year’, ‘Armenian genocide commemoration’, and that the calling of the Armenian deportation, which has an important place in Turkish political history, as “genocide” with an unjust and unfounded accusation by certain segments of the public, and rather by the international public opinion, is incompatible with historical realities, The use of the 1915 Events, whose interlocutors are historians, for political interests and of a nature that may lead to social conflict, considering the sensitivity of the relevant event, which is likely to touch the nerve endings of the society, is a provocative and unfounded allegation that may harm the unity law of different ethnic-based communities living together in Anatolian lands for centuries, and that it is a provocative and unfounded claim at a level that may disrupt the peace of society, that historical events, like all other events, can be criticized and discussed, but that journalists’ making allegations that may disrupt the unity and solidarity of the society, polarize the society, and damage the reputation of the society, without being based on concrete evidence, cannot be considered within the scope of freedom of expression, It has been concluded that the fact that Cengiz Aktar openly expressed the ‘genocide’ characterization during the broadcast and did not attempt to make a correction is incompatible with the understanding of public responsibility and responsible broadcasting, as well as inciting the society to hatred and hostility and creating feelings of hatred in the society” and that “the provision in subparagraph (b) of the first paragraph of Article 8 of Law No. 6112; ‘It cannot incite the society to hatred and enmity or create feelings of hatred in the society by making distinctions based on race, language, religion, gender, class, region and sect'” and imposed an administrative fine of 189.282 TL administrative fine and 5 program suspensions. The decision also warned that if the violation is repeated within one year, the broadcast will be suspended for up to ten days, and if it is repeated once more, Açık Radyo’s broadcast license will be revoked.
Açık Radyo issued a press release and announced that it is appealing the decision through legal means.