Questions linger after decree law limiting matchmaking shows in Turkey

ANKARA

The future of TV dating shows in Turkey remains under a cloud after a state of emergency decree published on April 29, with the country’s television watchdog saying a “study is under way” on the matter. 

“We are having the legal consultancy department conduct a study,” RTÜK chair Prof. Dr. İlhan Yerlikaya told daily Hürriyet. 

“We’ll make an announcement to the public tomorrow [May 2] after their work is over. We do not want these shows anyway and we have stated this before,” Yerlikaya said.

His remarks came after reports that such matchmaking shows had been banned with the decree 
Daily newspaper Habertürk, however, quoted RTÜK as saying that the decree had not banned such shows, but had made the penalties against them harsher. In the event of serial violations of regulations, even the license of the TV station airing the show could be revoked.

“In radio and television broadcasts, shows where people are introduced to each other and/or brought together to find friends ... cannot be made,” read the state of emergency decree law published in the Official Gazette on April 29.

The government says dating shows receive thousands of complaints every year and RTÜK levels fines against them for violations of broadcasting principles almost every week.