The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) imposed an administrative fine on TELE 1 TV over the remarks of Merdan Yanardağ during the “18 Dakika” (18 Minutes) program, where he said, “They hid the ones who burned Turkey’s soldiers alive, they even hid the ones who hid [them] alive. Just so that the name of an Islamist terrorist organization is not mentioned… Muslims establish terrorist organiations as well and they kill Turkish soldiers in terrorist organizations. The Islamist terror… They hid Islamist terror for years…” The RTÜK fined the broadcaster on the grounds that it violated the provision of “Media services … shall not be contrary to human dignity and the principle of respect to privacy, shall not include disgracing, degrading or defamatory expressions against persons or organizations beyond the limits of criticism” (February 4).
