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Türkiye's broadcasting regulator has imposed maximum-level administrative fines and ordered specific titles removed from the catalogs of Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, and HBO Max after reviewing content it said violated national broadcasting rules.
The Radio and Television Supreme Council, known by its Turkish acronym RTUK, examined productions on the four streaming platforms over issues including obscenity, violence, child abuse, and content that it said conflicted with national and moral values.
The sanctions were issued under Law No. 6112, which regulates radio, television, and on-demand media services in Türkiye.
RTUK reviewed the documentary "Bang My Box: The Robin Byrd Story" on HBO Max and concluded that it openly displayed sexuality and pornography while, according to the regulator, presenting same-sex relationships in a legitimizing way.
The council found that the production breached provisions requiring broadcasts not to conflict with national and moral values, public morality, and the protection of the family, as well as rules prohibiting obscene content.
HBO Max was ordered to remove the title from its catalog and was handed an administrative fine of 3%.
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The regulator also took up "Spartacus: House of Ashur" on Prime Video, focusing on scenes featuring graphic violence, sexual content, and nudity.
RTUK said the production included slow-motion bloodshed, dismemberment, and scenes in which violence was presented in a highly detailed way, alongside what it described as excessive obscenity and repeated exposure of male and female bodies.
Prime Video was found to have violated provisions banning obscene content and programming that encourages or normalizes violence. The platform received a 5% administrative fine, while the title was ordered to be removed from its catalog.
Netflix was sanctioned over "Heartstopper: Sonsuza Dek," which was listed with an 18+ age classification and warnings for sexual content and strong language.
The platform also carried a notice saying the film had been adapted from the "Heartstopper" book, which Türkiye's Board for the Protection of Minors from Harmful Publications had found unsuitable for children.
RTUK said the film was aimed at younger audiences and presented same-sex relationships through music, visual effects, and an aesthetic style that it considered encouraging to younger viewers.
The council said the positive presentation and normalization of LGBTQ+ relationships conflicted with what it described as Türkiye's family structure, moral values and general understanding of public morality.
Netflix was ordered to remove the film from its catalog and received a 3% administrative fine.
Disney+ was sanctioned over "A Teacher," a series centered on a relationship between an adult teacher and an underage student.
RTUK said some scenes portrayed the teacher's abusive behavior toward the student in a romanticized and eroticized way, which the council argued risked obscuring the abusive nature of the relationship and making it appear normal.
The regulator found that the series violated a provision prohibiting content involving the abuse of children, vulnerable people, and people with disabilities, as well as the encouragement of violence.
Disney+ received a 5% administrative fine, and the title was ordered to be removed from its catalog.
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