In 1983, the procedures and principles relevant to establishment, competences and responsibilities of the Radio and Television High Council and the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) and the regulation of radio and television broadcasts in Turkey had been defined with the Radio and Television Law No: 2954. For this purpose, the regulation of radio and television broadcasts to and from Turkey had been given to the competence of TRT as a State monopoly in the broadcasting field. With the provision of broadcasting appropriate to the procedures of the above mentioned Law, the rights of some State institutions to set up radio stations for the purpose of making announcements and warnings, to make radio broadcasts in intervals or in a continuous manner, and also the rights of the natural and legal persons in private Law to set up and run closed-circuit television systems were all given to the supervision, monitoring and permission of the Radio and Television High Council. But, the technological developments and increase of new players in the mass communications sector, the homeland-oriented broadcasts of the private broadcasters made the re-regulation of this field compulsory. For this purpose, in 1994, the Law no: 3984 that enabled the set-up of today’s Radio and Television Supreme Council which is responsible for the regulation of the radio and television broadcasts all across Turkey, abolished the monopoly of TRT, redefined the scope and coverage of the mass communications field in broader terms.

REGULATORY BODY

As a result of re-regulation of the field of mass-communications, in place of the Radio and Television High Council, the Radio and Television Supreme Council – RTÜK was founded as an impartial public legal entity that had broader competences and responsibilities compared to its former position. Supreme Council is composed of 9 members who are elected by the Grand National Assembly. Duration of membership is six years. Supreme Council members elect among themselves a President and a Vice President. Duration of chairmanship is two years.