Ahmet Ozay
The censorship imposed on the broadcasting rights of the match between Turkey and Austria in the 2024 European Football Championship hosted by Germany caused great reactions. The fact that the match to be held in Leipzig was not broadcast on state channels disappointed Turkish and European football fans.
State channels ARD and ZDF decided to encrypt the broadcasting rights of only the Turkey-Austria match out of the eight matches in the last 16 round by transferring them to a paid channel. This will prevent approximately 1 million Turkish families in Germany from watching the match on state channels. This decision caused great indignation among German Turkish citizens and drew reactions from different segments.
An Unacceptable Practice
- Although Turks in Germany pay 230 million euros in television tax annually, they will not be able to watch the Turkish match on state channels.
- Kenan Kolat, former Chairman of the Turkish Community in Germany, said, “The decision is unacceptable. It is clear that the decision was taken in advance. This mistake must be reversed.”
Consecutive Reaction Statements
| Institution/Name | Statement Made |
|---|---|
| İlhan Küçük, President of the Liberal Group of the European Parliament | “The message ‘you are not part of this country’ to German citizen Turks is not nice at all,” he said. |
| Fatih Zingal, Chairman of the German DAVA Party | “With this decision, 4 million Turks in Germany are victimized. They feel excluded,” he said. |
Protest Letter to the Ministry of Internal Affairs
The Turkish Community of Germany sent a protest letter to ARD, ZDF and the German Ministry of Internal Affairs, calling for a reversal of the exclusionary decision. The Turkish Community of Germany wrote a letter addressed to the Minister of Internal Affairs, Nancy Freser, who is responsible for sports.
Purpose: Blocking Mass Display
- German media law expert Derman Kanal stated that it will not be possible to watch matches in mass screening areas and that Turkish fans will face rights restrictions.
- In countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands, public channels such as NOS will broadcast the Turkey-Austria match live as usual.
