Turkish Radio and Television (TRT)
Established in 1964, Turkish Radio and Television (Türkiye Radyo ve Televizyon Kurumu, TRT) is the national public broadcaster of Turkey. It held a broadcasting monopoly until the early 1990s when the Turkish radio and television markets underwent liberalization, paving the way for numerous privately owned broadcasters to initiate operations.
Today, TRT operates a dozen television channels, most of which broadcast across the nation. Among these, TRT World stands out as it broadcasts internationally in English, catering to a global audience. Additionally, TRT owns radio channels with both a nationwide and local reach.
Media assets
Television: TRT1, TRT2, TRT Spor, TRT Cocuk, TRT Kurdi, TRT Arabi, TRT Muzik, TRT Belgesel, TRT Haber, TRT Turk, TRT Avaz, TRT World
Radio: National- Radyo 1, TRT FM, Radyo 3, TRT Nagme, TRT Turku, Voice of Turkey; Regional- Antalya Radyosu, Cukurova Radyosu, Erzurum Radyosu, Radyo GAP, Trabzon Radyosu, Kent Radyo Istanbul, Kent Radyo Ankara, Kent Radyo Izmir
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
The operations of TRT are governed by the Radio and Television Law, which delineates its objectives, powers, and responsibilities. The management of TRT is under the purview of the General Director (sometimes called Director General) and a multi-member board, which includes the General Director.
Previously, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), a Turkish state agency responsible for regulating radio and television broadcasters, held significant influence over the composition of TRT’s governing bodies. This was due to its legal authority to nominate candidates for the positions of General Director and Board members, from whom the government would then make appointments.
As of 2018, a presidential decree resulted in TRT being affiliated with the Presidential Communication Authority (the Directorate of Communications), and RTÜK being associated with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. This change formalized a closer institutional link between TRT and the Presidency.
In July 2025, Mehmet Zahid Sobacı was reappointed for a second four-year term as Director-General of TRT. He first took office in July 2021, replacing İbrahim Eren.
Source of funding and budget
TRT’s funding model has long relied on a combination of earmarked taxes and government transfers, though the structure has shifted in recent years. Historically, revenues came from two main compulsory sources: a license fee collected through electricity bills and a so-called bandrol tax levied on electronic devices such as television and radio sets, and mobile phones. The electricity fee, which had been in place since 1984, was abolished in 2021 amid growing public anger over rising utility costs, leaving the broadcaster increasingly dependent on the bandrol tax and direct government allocations. According to analyses, this change tightened TRT’s reliance on state funding, with the bandrol tax and central budget transfers now constituting the overwhelming majority of its income.
According to media reports, TRT’s total revenues in 2021 amounted to TRY 5.6bn (US$ 488m), most of which was sourced from the government. In 2020, approximately 90% of TRT’s total budget was funded through the tax collected from electronic devices and the electricity bill.
TRT’s financial model has shifted decisively toward near-total reliance on compulsory fees and government support. In 2023, the broadcaster’s total revenue reached TRY 21.14 billion, of which an overwhelming 86.3% (TRY 18.24 billion) came from bandrol licensing fees on electronic devices. By contrast, advertising and other commercial sources accounted for only 13.7%, down from 17% in 2022. This marks a steep increase in dependence on taxpayer-derived income: in 2022, bandrol fees represented 80.1% of total revenue, already a dominant share but still lower than the 2023 figure.
Editorial independence
Despite constitutional provisions asserting its independence, TRT has consistently been subjected to intense political control throughout its existence. Defined as an “impartial public entity” by the radio and television law, TRT has continually faced pressure from authorities due to the government’s power to appoint its governing structures. This political pressure has significantly intensified since the AKP (Justice and Development Party) came to power two decades ago. The failed coup attempt in 2016 further exacerbated the situation, culminating in a 2018 presidential decree that placed the broadcaster under the jurisdiction of the Directorate of Communications, a unit within the presidential authority.
Over the past decade, independent evaluations have consistently found that TRT’s editorial stance is heavily biased in favor of the government. A 2019 report from the European Union stated that TRT’s editorial policy, as a public service broadcaster, continued to show “a significant pro-government bias.” This bias became even more pronounced after TRT was placed under direct presidential control in 2018, further aligning the broadcaster’s editorial policy with the government’s agenda.
A member of the opposition, who also serves on the media regulator RTUK, stated in May 2023 that a quarter of the daily programming time on TRT is dedicated to disseminating government propaganda.
Legal provisions exist that mandate TRT’s editorial independence; however, they lack tangible safeguards to ensure this independence. Multiple sources suggest that the Erdoğan government exercises control over the broadcaster, indicating disregard for these legal provisions.
During the most recent research phase, no independent assessment or oversight mechanism was identified that could confirm the outlet’s editorial independence.
September 2025