Turkey’s broadcast regulator on Friday opened an investigation into remarks on government-critical broadcaster Sözcü TV that described Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa as a “killer” and “terrorist,” saying the language could harm relations with Syria.
The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) did not identify the station in its public statement, but the remarks were made by Sözcü TV anchor Serap Belovacıklı.
RTÜK called the comments “baseless accusations” against Syria’s “legitimate president” and said they could damage good neighborly relations and were inconsistent with Turkey’s foreign policy principles. Its monitoring staff is reviewing the broadcast under Turkey’s broadcast law.
Belovacıklı argued during the program that putting a tie on a killer or a terrorist could not compel the public to respect them and contrasted Turkey with Syria.
The regulator can issue fines and program suspensions and has repeatedly sanctioned broadcasters critical of the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Sözcü TV served a 10-day broadcast blackout in July 2025 over its coverage of protests following the arrest of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
Al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, led the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militant group before rebel forces toppled Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Ankara has since developed close relations with Syria’s new government.