Turkey’s Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), which has drafted a new code of ethics, has adopted “respect for the national will” as a new ethical principle for itself, the Diken news website reported on Wednesday.
“Respect for the national will” is a phrase commonly used by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose Justice and Development Party (AKP) has been ruling Turkey as a single-party government since 2002.
Erdoğan uses this phrase to point to his party’s success in elections, while his critics say the president ignores the nation’s will when it comes to opposition parties as some of their leaders and deputies have either been removed from office or jailed over the past few years.
Another new ethical principle adopted by RTÜK is to “support the unity and sustainability of the family” and “consider the beliefs, values and sensitivities of the society” in TV broadcasts.
