ISTANBUL (ARA News) — The pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) has complained that there is a media embargo on the party by the Turkish media with a limited number of days left before the referendum to take place on April 16.
“As Referendum Day approaches, we are observing together how the hardened problems of the media impact upon the future of society in Turkey,” Saruhan Oluç, HDP co-chair said.
“It is, of course, clear that we do not have the right to determine the editorial policies of media organizations, nor do we have such an intention. However, as a political party that received the vote of 6 million citizens, the grave media embargo that we have been placed under urges us to make a statement on the issue, and mark this instance in history,” the official said.
“It is first necessary to underline a number of facts regarding the TRT (Turkish Radio and Television Corporation), a ‘public institution’, which by law, must remain impartial. The data we have reveals that the TRT, while broadcasting the referendum campaigns of political parties, brazenly violates its own law, the RTÜK (Supreme Board of Radio and Television) Law and the principles of the Supreme Election Council of Turkey,” the HDP official added.
“When we look at the distribution of live broadcast and debate programs on the TRT News Channel for the period from March 1 to 22, 2017, we observe that the Presidency was allocated 1390 minutes, the AKP [the Justice and Development Party, the party in power] 2723 minutes, the CHP [the Republican People’s Party, the main opposition party] 216 minutes, the MHP [the National Movement Party] 48 minutes, and no time at all, or 0 minutes, to the HDP. A similar picture exists for durations allocated in news bulletins and the distribution of guests on debate programs,” the HDP official said.
Moreover, the Kurdish party complained about the coverage of private TV channels, which are also under the influence of the government and supported the ruling AKP party during the failed military coup.
