NEWS CENTER - Stating that RTÜK did not accept the decision to stop the broadcast, HDP said: "The government that turns the truth upside down and cannot cope with the power of truth despite all the media opportunities it has, will not be able to obscure the truth with the help of RTÜK."

 

The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) issued a written statement regarding the decision of the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) to suspend broadcasts and fines Halk TV, Tele1 and Fox TV. In the statement signed by HDP Co-Chairperson of the Press, Broadcasting and Propaganda Commission, Tayip Temel, it was underlined that heavy penalties were imposed on publications that reflected the cries of the people during the earthquake and pointed to the responsibility of the government and the real causes of the destruction.

 

'THE GOVERNMENT WILL ACCOUNT FOR CENSORSHIP'

 

Emphasizing that the RTÜK's decision was unlawful, the statement said: "It is an unscrupulous decision aimed at covering the cries of the people. RTÜK openly declared that it has once again turned into a censorship board on behalf of the government with this decision. The RTÜK, which sees no harm in the insults in the live broadcast made by the President, especially the President, and the government officials, who lost their relatives trying to heal the wounds of the disaster and are still trying to get their bodies out from under the rubble, has been recorded as a new example of corruption. The government, which turns the truth upside down and cannot cope with the power of truth despite all the media opportunities it has, will not be able to obscure the truth with the help of RTÜK. The government, which does not stand by the people, does not heal their wounds, and has turned the earthquake into a disaster with heavy losses, will not be able to avoid being held to account by silencing the media and threatening the society."

 

'WE DO NOT ACCEPT CENSORSHIP'

 

The statement continued: “We do not accept that the earthquake-hit areas are left to the mercy of communities, sects and racist groups, and we will never allow these areas to be turned into a kind of 'concentration camps' by being closed to the opposition media. Our people will neither consent to this order that brings death to them, nor will the opposition media remain silent in the face of these pressures, nor will we refrain from resolutely building a free future. Once again, we condemn the RTÜK decision in the strongest terms and state that we stand by all media organizations that try to make the voice of the truth heard.”