‘Harmful for children’: Turkish TV channels fined for live coverage of protests

Published time: June 13, 2013 13:13
Edited time: June 14, 2013 16:43 

Media takes images of a protester holding a flag in front of a riot police vehicle during a protest at Taksim Square in Istanbul (Reuters / Osman Orsal)

Turkey’s TV watchdog fined four TV channels over their live coverage of the Gezi Park protests in Istanbul, citing that the broadcasts were "harming the physical, moral and mental development of children and young people."
The Radio and Television Supreme Council fined private channels including Halk TV, Ulusal TV, Cem TV and EM TV.
Halk TV has gained local popularity because of their 24-hour live coverage of protests in Turkey, as most of the mainstream media have been slammed for their lack of reporting on the protests in the country.
As the unrest unfolded almost two weeks ago, mainstream Turkish media did not cover the violent police clashes, but instead broadcast nature and history documentaries, and cooking shows.
Many of the other local networks briefly mentioned the protests, but failed to cover the violent clashes in which scores were injured.
Angered protesters had to turn to the internet, especially Twitter, to get the information out.

A protester uses her mobile device as she walks at Gezi Park on Taksim Square in Istanbul (Reuters / Stoyan Nenov)

In response, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan condemned social media’s role in the riots, singling out what he called the “scourge” of Twitter.
“There is now a menace which is called Twitter," Erdogan said in the beginning of June.
Most recently two Canadian journalists were arrested by police on Wednesday while covering the ongoing protests in Istanbul's Taksim Square. The two had been held all day and later released.


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Protesters Skeptical as Turkish PM Flips From Threats to Concessions

Turkey’s embattled PM Recep Tayyip Erdoganis told protesters last night that he will halt plans to redevelop Gezi Park until Turkish courts rule on an appeal and launch a public referendum if the rule falls in the government’s favor.

(Photo: Joshua Kahn Russell/Monument at Taksim Square) The move comes a day after European parliament voted to condemn the PM’s violent crackdown on Turkey’s ballooning protests that has left five dead and over 5,000 injured.
Erdogan’s Wednesday threats to shut down the protests in 24 hours were followed by late-night private meetings Thursday with members of the Taksim Solidarity, one organization behind the Taksim Square protests that has gained heightened visibility.
Just outside of the Thursday meetings, police fought back protesters. PressTV reports:

Witnesses said police fired tear gas at some 200 protesters who had gathered in Ankara city centre, near the offices of the prime minister, while the meeting was underway. Five demonstrators were also arrested.

The PM’s gesture towards concession appeared an attempt to quiet Turkey’s mass mobilizations, now well into their third week, as the U.S.-backed head of government faces a growing political crisis.
Taksim Solidarity members who attended the private meeting declared that the question of whether to accept the PM’s latest move ultimately rests with protesters, many of whom are not affiliated with Taksim Solidarity. CBS reports:


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Related articles

• Turkey protesters say PM vows to respect courts on park plans - Reuters (reuters.com)
• 'Harmful for children': Turkish TV channels fined for live coverage of protests (inquiringminds.cc)
• Turkish Syndicate Warns of Mass Strike over Police Brutality (novinite.com)