The highest decision-making organ of the Press Advertisement Agency is the General Assembly. Its composition rests on three equal groups: the press, the President, and the universities and professional bodies.
Composition — Art. 5
(Amended: 5/2/1979 – Decree-Law 23/1; accepted as amended: 14/6/1984-3022/1)
Sub-paragraph (a): Press Representatives — 14 persons
(Amended: 13/10/2022-7418/19) — Elected among themselves by the owners of newspapers and magazines that accept participation in the administration of the Agency:
| Who | Number |
|---|---|
| From those with sales above 100 thousand | 1 |
| From those with sales between 99,999 and 50 thousand | 1 |
| From those with sales between 49,999 and 10 thousand | 1 |
| From those with sales below 10 thousand | 1 |
| From the owners of internet news sites publishing official announcements (added in 2022) | 2 |
| From the owners of Anatolian newspapers outside İstanbul, Ankara and İzmir that publish official announcements | 3 |
| From the journalists’ trade union with the most members | 2 |
| From the journalists’ associations with the most press-card-holding members in İstanbul, Ankara and İzmir | 1 each (3) |
Sub-paragraph (b): Representatives of the President — 14 persons
(Amended: 2/7/2018-Decree-Law-703/162) — 14 representatives to be appointed by the President.
Sub-paragraph (c): University and Institutional Representatives — 14 persons
| Institution | Number |
|---|---|
| The Faculties of Law of İstanbul, Ankara and Dokuz Eylül Universities | 1 each (3) |
| The Faculty of Political Sciences of Ankara University | 1 |
| The colleges or institutes providing education related to the press and broadcasting at İstanbul, Ankara and Ege Universities | 1 each (3) |
| From the advertising brokers registered in the commercial register | 1 |
| The Union of Chambers of Commerce, Chambers of Industry and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey | 1 |
| The Union of Turkish Bar Associations | 1 |
| The Directorate General of TRT | 1 |
| Anadolu Ajansı T.A.O. | 1 |
| The Information and Communication Technologies Authority (added in 2022) | 1 |
| The Radio and Television Supreme Council (added in 2022) | 1 |
It thus consists of 42 members.
Term of Membership
- The members of the General Assembly are elected for a term of two years.
- (Added sentence: 13/10/2022-7418/19) The duties of the existing members continue until the new members are determined.
- A member whose term expires may be re-elected.
- In the event of a vacancy, a new appointment or election may be made in their place, provided that it completes the term of the member who left.
- Among the representatives of newspaper and magazine owners, those whose sales fall below their own category lose their membership rights if that situation continues for six months, and a new election is held in their place.
(Amended third paragraph: 2/7/2018-Decree-Law-703/162) Those of the members of the General Assembly listed in sub-paragraphs (a) and (c) are elected by the boards of directors of the bodies, faculties, colleges and institutes concerned.
Meetings — Art. 6
The General Assembly meets once every 3 months. The day, place and agenda of the meeting are notified to the members at least 15 days in advance.
The General Assembly may be called to an extraordinary meeting by the Board of Directors upon the request of two fifths of the members, or of the Board’s own motion where it considers this necessary. A request for an extraordinary meeting must contain a subject of deliberation compatible with this Law.
Meeting and Decision Quorums — Art. 7
| Subject | Rule |
|---|---|
| Meeting quorum | The majority of the members |
| If there is no majority | A meeting is held the following day at the same place with the members present |
| The presiding committee | A chair and two secretaries to be elected by the General Assembly from among the members |
| Decision | Taken by majority; in the event of a tie the side on which the Chair is placed prevails |
The Duties of the General Assembly — Art. 8
- 1. To examine and accept the activity report of the Board of Directors and the report of the auditors and, where it does not approve the activity, to elect the Board of Directors anew
- 2. To examine the accounts of the Agency and to deliberate on and approve the allocation balance sheets
- 3. To decide on the opening of branches in other cities that have acquired importance in terms of quantity and quality, like those in Ankara, İstanbul and İzmir, for the press
- 4. To provide assistance to the trade unions and associations of those working intellectually or physically in the press, on condition that it is not less than 5% of the annual net profit of the Agency
- 5. To discuss and decide on the other business falling within the duties of the Agency, on the basis of the agenda or upon the proposal of the members
- 6. To carry out the other business given to it by this Law
The Powers of the General Assembly in Other Provisions of the Law
| Power | Provision |
|---|---|
| To take a principle decision — whether an announcement is to be regarded as official | Art. 30 |
| To determine the principles for the distribution of official announcements | Art. 32 |
| To determine the qualities of newspapers | Art. 34 |
| To impose duties on newspapers and have them checked | Art. 35 |
| To propose the official announcement price tariff | Art. 39 |
| To make the regulation | Art. 53 |
| To reduce the commission rate down to 10% | Arts. 24, 28 |
| To determine the conditions for credit and lending | Arts. 22, 23 |
Conclusion
The General Assembly consists of 42 members, 14 representatives from each of the three sub-paragraphs, and the members are elected for 2 years. It meets once every 3 months; the meeting quorum is the majority of the members and the decision quorum is the majority of those attending the meeting. Its duties include approving the activity and auditors’ reports, approving the allocation balance sheets, deciding on the opening of branches, and providing assistance to press trade unions and associations at a rate of at least 5% of the annual net profit.