Published: Just now
Three Turkish TV channels are fined for their coverage of the strong earthquake that occurred on February 6.
The state media watchdog punishes the channels Halk TV, Tele 1 and Fox for reporting on the authorities’ inadequate efforts immediately after the earthquake. The channels can be fined between three and five percent of their advertising revenue during January.
The three channels have all previously been critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The chairman of Turkey’s journalists’ union, Nazmi Bilgin, calls the fine a “serious crime”.
– With this punishment, the criminal media watchdog overrides the public’s right to receive news and the victims to receive information, he says.
Over 44,000 people have so far been found dead in Turkey and Syria after the devastating earthquakes.