Lawmakers on Nov. 12 elected two new members to the country’s top media watchdog, filling vacancies left by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
Orhan Özdemir and Fatma Çeliker won the seats in a parliamentary vote, securing 250 and 252 votes respectively out of 279 cast. Özdemir replaces former Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) chair Ebubekir Şahin under the AKP quota, while Çeliker succeeds Deniz Güçer, who had represented the MHP since 2021.
Özdemir previously served as RTÜK’s vice president, while Çeliker headed the board’s Public Opinion, Broadcast Research and Measurement Department.
The election follows the Oct. 24 election of the AKP’s Mehmet Daniş as RTÜK chair, succeeding Şahin. Daniş, a lawyer by training, has been a member of the nine-member body since 2021 and earlier served three consecutive parliamentary terms before joining the government as a deputy minister.
The current RTÜK lineup includes Hasan Davulcu and Orhan Karadaş from the AKP; İlhan Taşçı and Tuncay Keser from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP); Necdet İpekyüz from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) and Ahmet Can Buğday from the İYİ (Good) Party.
RTÜK members serve six-year terms, with one-third of the council renewed every two years. The council elects its president and vice president from among its members for two-year terms.
