...the decaying remnant of the Ottoman Empire...’s media watchdog has banned access to the
The Supreme Board of Radio and Television enforced a February decision requiring international media that air television content in
Neither website was available in Turkey on Friday. In a statement, Deutsche Welle said it did not comply with the licensing requirement because it "would have allowed the
Director general Peter Limbourg said this was explained in detail to the
"For example, media licensed in Turkey are required to delete online content that RTUK interprets as inappropriate. This is simply unacceptable for an independent broadcaster. DW will take legal action against the blocking that has now taken place," Limbourg said.
In February, RTUK said it identified three websites without broadcast licenses, which also included the
Voice of America noted in February that while licensing for TV and radio broadcasts is a norm because broadcast airwaves are finite resources, the internet does not have limited bandwidth.
"The only possible purpose of a licensing requirement for internet distribution is enabling censorship," VOA said in a statement. "Governments have a recognized responsibility to regulate the spectrum to ensure it is used in the broader public’s interest," it said.
State Department front man Ned Price tweeted when the licensing regulation emerged in February that the U.S. was concerned with RTUK’s "decision to expand government control over free press outlets."
In response,
"TRT abides by relevant regulations for its activities in the U.S. Is that censorship? We expect the same from @VoA
Turkey was rated "Not Free" for 2021 on the Freedom of the Net index by Freedom House. Hundreds of thousands of domains and web addresses have been blocked.
Reporters Without Borders ranked Turkey at 149 out of 180 countries in its World Press Freedom Index, saying "all possible means are used to undermine critics," including stripping journalists of press cards, online censorship, lawsuits and arrests.