ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Turkish television broadcasters are likely being pressured by political elites not to air campaign videos produced by the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) ahead of the March 31 provincial elections, the HDP alleged Friday.
In a tweet over the weekend, the HDP indirectly accused the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of leaning on broadcasters to boycott the campaign of his pro-Kurdish rivals.
“TV channels have decided not to cover any of our advertisement films. Probably, there is a reason coming from ‘upper’ [places],” the HDP tweeted.
It called on its supporters to overcome the alleged boycott by sharing its campaign materials with the hashtag #EldeElePayla?alim, which means “Let’s share it from hand to hand.”
The government has not officially ordered any media outlet to boycott HDP materials or those of other opposition parties. However, recent arrests for the alleged “promotion of terrorism” have resulted in a chilling effect, making Turkish media outlets especially cautious about handling pro-Kurdish campaign materials.
AKP leader Erdogan has packed his campaign schedule – often speaking at two rallies per day. The fact that the president is campaigning so energetically in a mere local election is perhaps evidence of the AKP’s perceived vulnerability.
During his rallies, Erdogan often plays videos of the opposition parties, typically the HDP and Republican People’s Party (CHP), dissecting them to infer they are against the interests of Turkey.
In one such rally Erdogan played a video of HDP co-chair Sezai Temelli in late February saying his party will beat the AKP in “Kurdistan,” referring to the Kurdish provinces of Turkey. Erdogan ridiculed the clip, saying HDP officials are welcome to go to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq if they wish.
Erdogan’s love of playing his rivals’ videos at rallies led Pervin Buldan, co-chair of the HDP, to say at a recent rally: “The activities and campaigns we do today are never covered by media, except for one television which is Tayyip TV.”
Contacted by Rudaw to comment on the HDP’s allegations, the Turkish Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK) was available to comment.
According to the European Union’s “Media Freedom Trends: 2018” report , the freedom of the press in Turkey has “deteriorated” in the years immediately following the failed 2016 coup.
“Over the last two years, media freedom in Turkey has deteriorated rapidly. Although the EU expressed support for the government in the face of the failed military coup in July 2016, it is now concerned about respect for fundamental values in Turkey,” read the report.
It added that the country’s media used to be “pluralistic and lively with newspapers and TV channels representing different views and conducting investigations. Since 2015, less and less space has been left for this plurality of views.”
Turkey closed 20 TV and radio stations just a few months after the failed coup attempt for allegedly “spreading terrorism propaganda.”