Turkish pro-government television channels have been accused of deliberately ignoring mass street protests that have erupted following the arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. While opposition strongholds in Istanbul echoed with the sound of clanging pots and pans as a sign of protest, public broadcaster TRT showed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan boasting of his government's achievements, and NTV focused on the finance minister’s economic efforts. Neither channel broadcast footage of the demonstrations or interviewed protesters, despite NTV running a headline about hundreds of arrests.
Substantive coverage of the protests has been limited to a small number of independent and opposition-aligned outlets, such as the newspaper Cumhuriyet, which reported on conditions inside the maximum-security facility where İmamoğlu is held. Erol Önderoğlu of Reporters Without Borders said the situation reflects a “highly polarised, toxic media environment” built by Erdoğan over two decades, who now controls about 85 per cent of national and corporate media in Turkey.
Turkey’s media watchdog, RTÜK, has banned live broadcasting of the protests, a move that sparked internal dispute. Opposition RTÜK official İlhan Taşcı claimed bureaucrats threatened television managers with license revocation if they continued live coverage. RTÜK president Ebubekir Şahin responded, denying disinformation and asserting that institutions will do what is necessary. Political scientist Murat Somer said live footage would show peaceful, well-attended events, but pro-government channels portray protesters as vandals and criminals.
In response, opposition leader Özgür Özel and his Republican People’s Party (CHP) called for a boycott of businesses with alleged financial ties to the government, including a popular coffee chain, chocolate producer Ülker, and state broadcaster TRT. Özel also demanded that İmamoğlu’s trial be broadcast live. Meanwhile, ten photojournalists were detained in dawn raids this week, with several charged and facing potential jail time.
Media expert Emre Kızılkaya highlighted the power of images from these protests, noting that international media have captured remarkable scenes of democratic resistance. “Some of the photos we’ve seen are documenting a moment of defiance,” he said.
