Turkey’s TV watchdog demands closure of Hayat TV, before acknowledging license application

ISTANBUL

Turkey’s TV watchdog ruled June 13 on the closure of Hayat TV, a private channel broadcasting by satellite and on air for more than five years, for not having a license. 

However the channel’s lawyers said that Radio and Television Supreme Council’s (RTÜK) claims were unfounded. “We have made all the necessary applications for an RTÜK license. Despite having made all the steps foreseen under the law and all the commitments during the last months, RTÜK maintained an arbitrary approach,” they said in a statement.

The independently owned channel had started to broadcast with the support of some left wing organizations. 

RTÜK had initially demanded the end of broadcast as of Friday June 14. However, following the lawyers intervention, RTÜK has reportedly informed the Türksat satellite that the channel had indeed made an application for a license. 

Turkey’s TV watchdog does not have the authority to ban the broadcast of a TV channel, but it can ask to the emitters to stop the broadcast if the networks do not have a license.