"Too Hot for Turkish TV
By Soner Cagaptay
ForeignPolicy.com, October 1, 2009
It seems worryingly likely that Turkey -- a member of the European fringe, like Russia, and a country in accession talks with the European Union -- might become more like its northern neighbor than its western ones. On Sept. 8, Turkey's Justice and Development Party (AKP) government slapped Dogan Yayin, the country's largest media group -- it owns about half of Turkish media outlets, including CNN's Turkish affiliate -- with a record $2.5 billion fine for alleged improper business dealings. Together with an earlier $500 million fine, the AKP's latest charge brings the total penalty against the company to more than its net worth. If the AKP has its way with Dogan Yayin, it will erode Turkish press independence -- and start Turkey down a path of Russification rather than Europeanization."
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