Home > 1. The principles of Europe's electoral heritage > TÜRKIYE - Opinion on the Amendments to the Constituion Adopted by the Grand National Assembly on 21 January 2017 and to be Submitted to a National Referendum on 16 April 2017
 
 
 
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Paragraph 38
 

Moreover, Emergency Decree Law no. 687 of 9 February 2017 has removed the power of the Supreme Election Council to sanction private radio and television channels which make one-sided, biased broadcasts during election and referendum campaigns. This change, which does not have any genuine link with the state of emergency as such and instead has a clear relationship with the constitutional referendum campaign, has entered into force despite the spirit, if not the letter, of Article 67 of the Turkish Constitution, which provides that “the amendments made in the electoral laws shall not be applied to the elections to be held within the year from when the amendments go into force”. While the exact meaning and impact of this provision go beyond the scope of analysis of this opinion, it is obvious that it has operated a modification of the ordinary rules of media coverage of election or referendum campaigns, with a notable impact on the principle of neutrality of the media.