Turkish media and LGBTQ groups are questioning a decision by the country’s Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK) to classify a video from a coalition of conservative groups as a public service announcement.
The video, promoting an event in Istanbul, shows pictures of Pride parades in Turkey as a narrator calls for people who are “against the LGBT impositions and propaganda” and want to see an end to “global and imperialist lobbies who want to abolish gender, reduce the human generation, and destroy the family unit”, to join the rally.
The video was produced by the Unity in Ideas and Struggle Platform, a group of about 150 conservative non-Governmental organisations.
Critics, including some members of the RTUK Board, say the video contains hostile language and could result in attacks on the LGBTQ community.
The Unity in Ideas and Struggle Platform has denied promoting hate speech.
In a tweet, its head, Kursat Mican blamed misinformation for the criticism over the video.
A member of RTUK’s Board who voted against the decision, Ilhan Tasci said he believed the video could lead to hate crimes and so should not be broadcast as a public service announcement.
Under law, the RTUK has the power to list informative or educational content from public institutions and non-governmental organisations as public service announcements if it deems them to be in the public interest.
The regulator advises radio and TV channels to broadcast the announcements, but media outlets have editorial discretion over what they use.
The RTUK shared the video on its website, but did not upload it to YouTube, where it often shares public service announcements.
Pride events have been banned in Turkey since 2015.
When a parade took place in Istanbul in 2021 police arrested hundreds of people, including several journalists.
Ankara, 19 September 2022
