The great majority of RTUK penalties rest on a single provision: Art. 8/1. This article gives the whole of that paragraph in order.
The Opening Sentence
ARTICLE 8 - (1) Media service providers present their broadcasting services with an understanding of public responsibility and in conformity with the principles contained in this paragraph.
Twenty-Four Subparagraphs
| Subpara. | Principle |
|---|---|
| a | May not be contrary to the existence and independence of the State of the Republic of Turkey, to the indivisible integrity of the State with its territory and nation, or to Atatürk's principles and reforms |
| b | May not incite society to hatred and hostility, or create feelings of hatred in society, by making distinctions of race, language, religion, sex, class, region and sect |
| c | May not be contrary to the principle of the rule of law, justice and impartiality |
| ç | May not be contrary to the principle of respect for human dignity and the privacy of private life; may not contain expressions belittling, humiliating or defamatory of persons or organisations beyond the limits of criticism |
| d | May not praise or encourage terrorism, may not present terrorist organisations as strong or justified, and may not be of a nature reflecting the intimidating and frightening characteristics of terrorist organisations (the second sentence repealed: Decree-Law No. 680/18; enacted as it stood: 7072/17) |
| e | May not contain or encourage broadcasts discriminating and humiliating individuals on grounds such as race, colour, language, religion, nationality, sex, disability, political and philosophical thought and sect |
| f | May not be contrary to the national and moral values of society, to public morals and to the principle of the protection of the family |
| g | May not be of a nature praising the commission of an offence, offenders and criminal organisations or teaching criminal techniques |
| ğ | May not contain exploitation of children, the vulnerable and the disabled and may not encourage violence |
| h | May not be of a nature encouraging the use of addictive substances such as alcohol, tobacco products and drugs, or gambling |
| ı | Must take as a basis the principles of impartiality, truth and accuracy; news capable of investigation may not be broadcast without investigation or without being sure of its accuracy; exaggerated sound and images, effects and music may not be given place; it is compulsory to state the archive or reconstruction character and the agency source |
| i | No one may be declared guilty or shown as if guilty unless their guilt has become final by a judicial decision; on matters that have reached the judiciary it may not be of a nature affecting the judicial process and its impartiality |
| j | May not contain elements serving improper interests and leading to unfair competition |
| k | May not be of a one-sided or partisan nature in relation to political parties and democratic groups |
| l | May not encourage conduct that will harm public health and the protection of the environment and of animals |
| m | Must ensure that Turkish is used correctly, beautifully and intelligibly; vulgar, coarse and slang usage may not be given place |
| n | May not be obscene |
| o | Must respect the right of reply and correction of persons or organisations |
| ö | May not contain competitions or lotteries by means of information and communication devices; prizes may not be given to listeners and viewers |
| p | It is compulsory for surveys and opinion polls carried out or commissioned to be conducted before a notary from the preparation stage to the announcement of the results |
| r | May not exploit persons through fortune-telling or superstition |
| s | May not contain programmes contrary to gender equality, encouraging pressure on women or exploiting women |
| ş | May not encourage or normalise violence |
| t | (Added: Decree-Law No. 680/18; enacted as it stood: 7072/17) May not present a terrorist act, its perpetrators and its victims in a way that will produce results serving the aims of terrorism |
The Other Paragraphs of the Article
| Para. | Subject |
|---|---|
| 2 | Programmes that may harm the development of children and young people may not be broadcast at times when they may watch, even if a protective symbol is used |
| 3 | On-demand broadcasting service providers are obliged to present such services in a way that children will not, under normal conditions, hear or see |
| 4 | (Added: Decree-Law No. 690/60; enacted as it stood: 7077/50) Friend-finding programmes, the sale of products with a health claim, and the promotion of chat and partner-finding lines are prohibited; misleading competitions and promises of prizes through numbers subject to a special charge are prohibited |
The Articles Dealing with the Subparagraphs Separately
We deal with each principle in a separate article together with the text of the provision; you can reach the full list from the main guide.
The Sanction
The sanction for a breach of those principles is the administrative sanctions in Art. 32: an administrative fine, suspension of the programme and, in the event of repetition, revocation of the licence. We cover the detail in the fine calculation guide and the suspension guide.
Summary
The first paragraph of Art. 8 of Law No. 6112 lists the twenty-four broadcasting service principles with which media service providers must comply. They are lettered from (a) to (t); the second sentence of subparagraph (d) is repealed, and subparagraph (t) was added in 2017 and enacted as it stood in 2018. The second, third and fourth paragraphs of the article concern child protection and particular types of programme.