Turkey blocks access to Deutsche Welle and Voice of America

ZEYNEP BILGINSOY
Associated Press

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s media watchdog has banned access to the Turkish services of U.S. public service broadcaster Voice of America and German broadcaster Deutsche Welle. The Supreme Board of Radio and Television enforced a February decision requiring international media that air television content in Turkish online to apply for a broadcast license. An Ankara court ruled to restrict access to the website of the two state-owned broadcasters late Thursday. In a statement Friday, Deutsche Welle said it didn’t comply with the licensing requirement because it “would have allowed the Turkish government to censor editorial content.”