RTÜK bans politicians from TV PSAs despite ruling party dissent

ANKARA - Hürriyet

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The Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTÜK) passed a new regulation today banning politicians, including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, from appearing in public service announcements.

The proposal came from Süleyman Demirkan, a supreme committee member who had been elected to the position through the Republican People’s Party (CHP) quota and was accepted with five affirmative votes.

The CHP’s Hülya Alp, the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) Hamit Ersoy, the Nationalist Movement Party’s (MHP) Esat Çıplak and the Peace and Democracy Party’s (BDP) Ahmet Yıldırım all accepted the proposal. All votes against the ban came from AKP members on the committee including Davut Dursun, the head of the media watchdog.

Last year, Erdoğan had appeared in a public service announcement urging families to send their daughters to school.