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: State-Controlled (SC)
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 and a six-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, and RTÜK being associated with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Source of funding and budget
The funding model for TRT has undergone numerous modifications in recent years. As per a company annual report, TRT had a budget of approximately TRY 2.15bn in 2016. The primary sources of funding were revenues from state subsidies obtained through taxation. These taxes included a stamp tax on electronic devices, which accounted for 45% of the funding, and license fees collected as a tax on electricity consumption, contributing 37% of the total funds. Advertising revenues also played a role, contributing about 6% to the station’s overall budget.
The TRT Revenues Law of 1984, which governs the financing of public media, mandates that all electricity consumers contribute to a public media license fee. This fee is calculated as a 2% tax on their electricity bill. Additionally, a tax stamp is levied on producers and importers of electronic devices, including TV sets, DVD players, game consoles, and the like.
In 2017, the Turkish government announced a decision to cease the imposition of the electricity tax on businesses. This tax was primarily contributed by large corporations, especially those in the manufacturing industry, due to their heavy electricity usage. Government officials assured that the revenue deficit resulting from this tax elimination would be compensated by lottery revenues. However, this has yet to materialize. In response to escalating public outrage over the unchecked surge in electricity prices, the government completely abolished the electricity bill tax in 2021. To compensate for the financial void created by these measures, the government, in May 2022, sanctioned a decree to significantly increase the tax on electronic devices. 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.
Editorial independence
Despite constitutional provisions asserting its independence, TRT has consistently been subjected to intense political control throughout its existence. Defined as an “unbiased 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 Justice and Development Party (AKP) took 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, 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.
In anticipation of the local elections in March 2024, the government tightened its control over the media, including TRT, which the AKP treats as its own broadcasting arm.
Legal provisions exist that mandate TRT’s editorial independence, however, they lack tangible safeguards to ensure this independence. Multiple sources suggest that the Erdogan government exercises control over the broadcaster, indicating a 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.
August 2024