Скачать или смотреть OSCE criticises Turkish media election 'bias'

(15 May 2023)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ankara, Turkey - 15 May 2023
1. Wide of news conference panel
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Georg Link, OSCE special co-cordinator:
“In the general elections held in the wake of the devastating earthquakes, voters had a choice between genuine political alternatives and voter participation was high. But the incumbent and the ruling parties enjoyed an unjustified advantage including through biased media coverage. So there were genuine political alternatives, but limited by an un-level playing field.”
3. Wide of reporter asking question
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Georg Link, OSCE special co-cordinator:
“Nonetheless we found that the campaign itself was competitive and largely free for most contestants, but was characterised by intense polarization and marred by harsh rhetoric, instances of misuse of administrative resources and the pressure and intimidation faced by especially one opposition party.”
5. Cutaway
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Frank Schwabe, PACE head of delegation:
“So I would say the Turkish democracy is providing to be amazingly resilient, this shows the high turn-out in the election. But Turkey does not fulfil the basic principles of a democratic election, for sure, as well. Central political and social actors are in prison against judgements of the European Court of Human Rights. Media freedom is severely restricted and there is a climate of self-censorship. So Turkey has a long way from fair election campaign conditions."
7. Wide end of news conference

STORYLINE:
International observers on Monday lambasted Turkey’s national elections as marred by the “misuse of administrative resources” and “intimidation faced by especially one opposition party” during a news conference in Ankara.

While the OSCE’s Michael Georg Link lauded the elections as “largely free” he pointed out the “un-level playing field” since the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of incumbent president Recep Tayyip Erdogan enjoyed “an unjustified advantage, including through biased media coverage.”

Some 90% of Turkey’s media is in the hands of the government or its backers, according to Reporters Without Borders, ensuring overwhelming airtime for the president.

Only a handful of opposition newspapers remain in print, most having transitioned to online-only editions.

During April, Erdogan received nearly 33 hours of airtime on the main state-run TV station, according to opposition members of the broadcasting watchdog.

His presidential opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, received 32 minutes.

The observers noted the impressive voter turnout as a positive sign, calling Turkish democracy “amazingly resilient.”

Turkey’s presidential election will be decided in a runoff, election officials said Monday, after Erdogan pulled ahead of his chief challenger, but fell short of an outright victory that would extend his increasingly authoritarian rule into a third decade.

The election results showed that the alliance led by Erdogan's party looked like it would keep its majority in the 600-seat parliament, although the assembly has lost much of its power after a referendum that gave the presidency additional legislative powers narrowly passed in 2017.

Erdogan’s AKP and its allies secured 321 seats in the National Assembly, while the opposition won 213 and the 66 remaining went to a pro-Kurdish alliance, according to preliminary results.

AP video shot by Philipp Jenne.

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