Republic of Türkiye

[TR] Annual Report on Turkish Citizens’ Opinions Related to the Media Services

IRIS 2017-9:1/30

Gizem Gültekin Várkonyi

University of Szeged, Faculty of Law and Political Science

In March 2017, the Turkish Radio and Television Supreme Council released the Annual Report on Turkish Citizens’ Opinions related to Media Services. The Report puts together all feedback or complaints received in 2016 by the Council’s Public Relations services: the call center, the mobile application and the Council’s official website. There were approximately 200 000 elements of feedback related to the TV programmes. This feedback was mostly given by men (59% of all feedback). Between the ages of 21 and 50, several types of feedback were received from different age groups. The feedback was categorized according to the “Media service principles” as indicated in Article 8 of the Law on the Establishment of Radio and Television Enterprises and their Media Services.

Most of the feedback on reality shows described them as “contrary to the national and moral values of society, general morality and the principle of family protection”. This is placed in Article 8 (f) of the Law. Such programmes were also the most viewed ones in 2016. Reality shows include marriage programmes which were classified as competition programmes or block programming.

Besides competition programmes, most people watch series. The majority of feedback was given on series (60% of all feedback): that they were promoting discrimination based on the “race, colour, language, religion, nationality, sex, disability, political and philosophical view...” as in Article 8 (e) of the Law.

Turkish citizens also complained about the frequency and duration of the advertisements. Of these advertisements, the advertising of sexual products and questionnaire competitions came top of the list for complaints.

Finally, news channels were reported by the Turkish citizens (18% of all feedback) as they “encourage acts that will jeopardize the general health and/or protection of the environment and animals” (Article 8 (ı) of the Law).