Hayat TV, a progressive Turkish TV channel of the working people, the youth, women and the intellectuals is facing closure.
We believe this is a blow to people’s freedom of information.
The decision for the closure is made by the broadcasting regulator RTUK, Radio & Television High Commission with the pretext that Hayat TV has no licence.
This is not true. Hayat TV has been broadcasting since 21 March 2007 by ofcom licence via TURKSAT satellite. But a recent change in broadcasting rules via TURKSAT requires broadcasters to obtain a RTUK licence to be able to broadcast via satellite.
Our application for a RTUK licence has been submitted and pending for a decision. We have taken all the necessary steps and RTUK agreed that we could carry on broadcasting as it is until a RTUK licence is granted.
However, RTUK is now making an arbitrary decision to close down our channel because of, we believe, our broadcast of recent protests in Istanbul and across Turkey.
RTUK says they investigated “the complaints received for our coverage of the Gezi Park protests” and made a decision for the closure.
We believe this closure is part of the overall repression on the media in Turkey during the more than two-week-long Gezi Park protests. Four other TV channels have been given a fine by RTUK because of their coverage of the recent events.
RTUK sent a letter to TURKSAT to put an end to Hayat TV broadcast at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, 14th June 2013.
We believe this arbitrary and unlawful decision should be reversed.
We call on all democratically minded people to show solidarity with Hayat TV.
Mustafa Kara
Hayat TV Broadcast Coordinator
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