Bayrak Radio and Television (BRTK)

BRTK

Northern Cyprus · Quick Facts

State-Controlled

99.4%

Government transfers, share of 2025 and 2026 budgets

4 of 7

Board seats through appointment routes

82/180

Northern Cyprus, RSF 2026 · 56.57

Status

The public broadcaster of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognised only by Türkiye, based in North Nicosia. It began as Bayrak Radio on 25 December 1963 during intercommunal violence, with television from 19 July 1976. It is a public legal entity under Law 50/1983

Services

BRT1 and BRT2 on television; six radio services — Bayrak Radyosu, Bayrak International, Bayrak FM, Bayrak Klasik, Bayrak Türk Müziği and Bayrak Haber, also referred to as Bayrak Radyo Haber; and brtk.net for news, streams and programme content

The 2026 amendment

Law 51/2026 was adopted on 29 June 2026 and entered into force on publication on 3 July, revising personnel arrangements and introducing additional revenue mechanisms. The consolidated law retains the seven-member Board under Article 8

Leadership

The Board elects its Chair, and the Director cannot simultaneously hold that position. Özdemir Tokel was elected Chair in November 2024 and was identified in that role by the Prime Ministry in July 2026. BRTK's reporting of 24 September 2026 confirms Meryem Özkurt as Director; reports naming Aysu Basri Akter concern an earlier period

Statutory safeguards

Articles 3 and 4 require impartiality and accurate reporting, and Article 9 protects the Board's independence and prohibits instructions concerning broadcast planning and execution, subject to the law's exceptions

Government powers

Article 21 permits the Prime Minister to prohibit broadcasts where national security clearly requires it. Article 22 requires coverage of foreign relations to take account of principles and views communicated by the Foreign Ministry

EU law

The whole of Cyprus is EU territory, but application of the acquis is suspended in areas where the Republic of Cyprus does not exercise effective control, under Protocol No. 10. EU media and AI requirements should not be presented as applying locally in the same manner as in government-controlled areas

Sources: BRTK Law 50/1983 as amended by Law 51/2026, articles 3, 4, 8, 9, 21 and 22; Prime Ministry and BRTK reporting; Law 59/2025; Protocol No. 10 to the Act of Accession; Reporters Without Borders 2026. Classification per the State Media Matrix. Information checked to 25 September 2026.

Typology trajectory — BRTK

Northern Cyprus · 2022–2026

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

The classification is unchanged. Law 51/2026 revised personnel and financing arrangements from July 2026 while retaining the seven-member Board.

The Board under Article 8

Council of Ministers appointees	2
BRTK Director, appointed by the Council of Ministers	1
Security Forces Command representative	1
Representative of the largest organisation representing BRTK employees	1
Representative of the largest press and broadcasting professional organisation	1
Eastern Mediterranean University rector or vice-rector designated by its Foundation Board	1

Shaded rows are the appointment routes: the Director and two further members named by the Council of Ministers, plus a Security Forces Command representative — four of seven seats. The remaining three come from the BRTK employees' organisation, the press and broadcasting profession, and the Eastern Mediterranean University. The Board elects its Chair, and the Director may not hold that position.

Safeguards and their exceptions

Articles 3 and 4 require impartiality and accurate reporting, and Article 9 protects the Board's independence and prohibits instructions on broadcast planning and execution. Article 21 nonetheless permits the Prime Minister to prohibit broadcasts where national security clearly requires it, and Article 22 requires coverage of foreign relations to take account of principles and views communicated by the Foreign Ministry.

The October 2025 cancellation, explained

BRTK planned a programme with presidential candidates Ersin Tatar and Tufan Erhürman for 17 October 2025. Following a Supreme Electoral Council decision requiring all candidates to be invited, Özkurt announced its cancellation on 15 October, saying the number of candidates and available airtime would prevent the intended debate format. The published statement does not, by itself, establish politically directed censorship, and the cancellation is not treated as independent proof of government control.

The classification rests on reported editorial practice alongside the institutional arrangements. A content analysis by the Media and Journalism Research Center in May 2022 found visible bias and coverage concentrated on the President and government — historical evidence rather than a new assessment of 2026 output. RSF assesses Northern Cyprus separately, ranking it 82nd with 56.57 out of 100 in 2026 and describing public media as subject to government control. BRTK and Turkish News Agency–Cyprus journalists took part in AI training on 23 and 24 May 2025; no published editorial AI policy was identified, which does not establish that no internal rules exist.

Sources: BRTK Law 50/1983 as amended; Media and Journalism Research Center content analysis, May 2022; BRTK statement of 15 October 2025; Reporters Without Borders 2026; Altınbaş University training account. SC = State-Controlled, per the State Media Matrix. Information checked to 25 September 2026.

Bayrak Radyo Televizyon Kurumu is the public broadcaster of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognised only by Türkiye. Based in North Nicosia, it began broadcasting as Bayrak Radio on 25 December 1963, during intercommunal violence. Television broadcasting began on 19 July 1976. Meryem Özkurt is Director, and Özdemir Tokel chairs the Board.

Media assets

Television: BRT1 and BRT2

Radio: Bayrak Radyosu, Bayrak International, Bayrak FM, Bayrak Klasik, Bayrak Türk Müziği and Bayrak Haber

Digital: brtk.net, providing news, television and radio streams, and programme content

Ownership and governance

BRTK is a public legal entity established under Law 50/1983.

The 2026 amendment modernised the institution’s staffing and financing framework. Law 51/2026 was adopted on 29 June 2026 and entered into force upon publication on 3 July 2026. It revised personnel arrangements and introduced additional revenue mechanisms.

The consolidated law retains a seven-member Board under Article 8:

Membership route	Seats
Council of Ministers appointees	2
BRTK Director, appointed by the Council of Ministers	1
Security Forces Command representative	1
Representative of the largest organisation representing BRTK employees	1
Representative of the largest press and broadcasting professional organisation	1
Eastern Mediterranean University rector or vice-rector designated by its Foundation Board	1

The Board elects its Chair; the Director cannot simultaneously hold that position. The consolidated statute incorporates the 2026 amendment.

Özdemir Tokel was elected Chair in November 2024, and the Prime Ministry identified him in that role in July 2026. BRTK’s reporting of 24 September 2026 confirms Meryem Özkurt as Director.

Source of funding and budget

BRTK depends overwhelmingly on government transfers. Its 2026 Budget Act, Law 59/2025, includes comparative budget figures for 2025.

BRTK budgets, 2025 and 2026

From the 2026 Budget Act, Law 59/2025. Budgeted amounts, not actual year-end receipts.

Year	Total budget	Government transfer	Government share
2025	TRY 1,661.500m	TRY 1,650.900m	99.4%
2026	TRY 2,136.665m	TRY 2,124.665m	99.4%

The revenue schedule appears on printed page 1671 of the Official Gazette. The 2026 balance of TRY 12 million comprises TRY 2 million in statutory pension contributions and TRY 10 million in other service income. Parliamentary reporting independently confirms approval of the TRY 2,136,665,000 total.

A new compulsory revenue stream

Specified electronics, tobacco and alcoholic drinks

Electronic cigarettes and related vaping devices

0.3%

Specified vehicles and vessels

The July 2026 reform introduced import levies earmarked for BRTK, with the bandrol tariff regulation taking effect on 3 July 2026. The annual budgets above predate their introduction, and verified collection figures were not identified for this update, so their actual contribution remains to be established.

Sources: Law 59/2025 and the Official Gazette revenue schedule; parliamentary reporting; bandrol tariff regulation, 3 July 2026. Information checked to 25 September 2026.

The July 2026 reform introduced import levies earmarked for BRTK. The accompanying bandrol tariff regulation took effect on 3 July 2026. Rates include 1 per cent on specified electronics, tobacco and alcoholic drinks, 3 per cent on electronic-cigarette and related vaping devices, and 0.3 per cent on specified vehicles and vessels.

These levies create an additional compulsory funding source. The annual budget above predates their introduction, and verified collection figures were not identified for this update. Their actual contribution to BRTK’s finances therefore remains to be established.

Editorial independence

Statutory safeguards exist. Articles 3 and 4 require impartiality and accurate reporting. Article 9 protects the Board’s independence and prohibits instructions concerning broadcast planning and execution, subject to the law’s exceptions.

Government powers qualify those safeguards. Article 21 permits the Prime Minister to prohibit broadcasts where national security clearly requires it. Article 22 requires coverage of foreign relations to take account of principles and views communicated by the Foreign Ministry.

Evidence about editorial practice remains central to the classification. State Media Monitor’s published assessment records a content analysis conducted by the Media and Journalism Research Center in May 2022, which found visible bias and news coverage concentrated on the President and government.

AI and digital policy

AI-related training is documented. BRTK and Turkish News Agency–Cyprus journalists participated in training on 23 and 24 May 2025, covering AI-assisted news production, verification, disinformation and ethical issues.

State Media Monitor did not identify a publicly available BRTK editorial AI policy specifying verification, disclosure and accountability requirements.

Classification rationale

BRTK remains classified State-Controlled (SC).

Public authorities exercise substantial institutional influence. The Director and two other Board members are appointed by the Council of Ministers, while the Security Forces Command supplies another representative. Together these positions account for four of seven seats.

Government financing is overwhelming. Transfers account for approximately 99.4 per cent of the approved budgets for both 2025 and 2026. The additional import levies introduced in July 2026 provide another statutory funding route.

The classification rests on reported editorial practice alongside these institutional arrangements. Statutory impartiality and independence provisions exist, but the evidence reviewed includes historically documented bias and a current external assessment of government control over public media.

September 2026