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Türkiye’s national media regulator, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK), has officially lifted the broadcast ban on the Turkish-language service of Deutsche Welle (DW), following a new assessment of the outlet’s content and structure.
RTUK said in a written statement that DW Turkce’s current operations are considered press activity rather than regulated broadcasting, meaning the outlet no longer falls under the licensing requirements of the 2019 broadcasting law.
According to RTUK, DW has removed content previously found to be non-compliant. “The revised editorial structure and publishing approach no longer require a broadcast license under Law No. 6112,” the council noted.
DW’s license was initially blocked in June 2022 for operating without the mandatory authorization required for video streaming and online broadcasting services in Türkiye. At the time, the outlet did not establish a legal presence in the country or apply for a license.
The 2019 law empowers RTUK to regulate digital streaming services and foreign news platforms operating in Türkiye. Officials have defended the legislation as necessary to ensure transparency, legal equality, and fair taxation within the media sector.
Government sources emphasize that the law applies to all outlets equally — foreign or domestic — and does not target press freedom, but rather enforces sovereign regulatory standards in line with public interest.
Following the 2022 ruling, DW continued to broadcast via mirror websites. Later, the Ministry of Industry and Technology declined to renew the outlet’s legal registration, prompting DW to close its Türkiye bureau and shift to a freelance-based operation model.
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