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TRT Global

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TRT Global
CountryTurkey
Broadcast areaWorldwide
HeadquartersUlus, Ankara, Turkey
Programming
Language(s)English
Picture format16:9
Ownership
OwnerTRT
Sister channels
History
Launched18 May 2015
(test broadcast)
30 June 2015; 9 years ago (2015-06-30)
ReplacedTRT International
Links
Websitehttps://trt.global/world

TRT Global, previously named TRT World, is a Turkish public broadcaster which broadcasts in English 24 hours a day and is operated by the TRT and based in the Ulus quarter of Ankara. It provides worldwide news and current affairs focusing on Turkey, Europe, Africa, and Western and Southern Asia.[1] In addition to its headquarters based in Ankara, TRT World has broadcasting centres and studios in Washington, D.C. and London. It is a member of the Association for International Broadcasting.

The network has been criticised for failing to meet accepted journalism ethics and standards for independence and objectivity, with some commentators, especially in the West, calling it state media[2][3] or a propaganda arm of the Erdoğan administration.[4][5][6] TRT World claims that it is financially and editorially independent from the administration, and that its news gathering is just like those of other publicly funded broadcasters around the world, with a mission to show a non-Turkish audience events from Turkey's viewpoint.[7][8][9] According to Reporters Without Borders, Turkey in 2023 ranked 165th out of 180 countries in press freedom.[10][7]

History

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On May 1, 1964, Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, government-run public broadcaster of Turkey, was founded. Since then, the organization would expand into a network of 14 television channels, 16 radio stations, and various web platforms transmitted in 38 languages throughout the world. One of those television channels was named TRT World, it was launched in 2015 with its headquarters being located in Istanbul and its newsrooms being reportedly located around the world. TRT has four newsrooms and approximately 300 international journalists. TRT World was designed to be available in all major English speaking countries, being accessed via free-to-air, cable, satellite, and other digital platforms, like mobile phones, desktops and social media.[11][12] Reportedly, TRT had started its first test broadcasts on May 18, 2015, doing official broadcasts on October 27, 2015.[13] In 2016 announcement, president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said that TRT World “will not be the official bulletin of the state”.[14]

TRT World airs its broadcasts 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Its broadcasting centers are located in London, Washington and Singapore. According to TRT World, its digital operations have reached to around 260 million households in 190 countries, with them being available in United States on cable services like Comcast, Cox and Verizon. TRT World has approximately 2.1 million followers, 8.6 million views and over 100,000 shares on Facebook, it also has account on YouTube. In 2016, Financial Times said that TRT World's budget is at $77 million to $155 million.[15][16] According to experts, TRT World had gradually shifted from from being Turkey's international public news organization into the media wing of Justice and Development Party.[17] After the 2016 Turkish coup attempt against Erdogan, the channel was forced to become partisan. Several foreign employees of TRT World resigned and some protested as a response.[14][18]

On June 4, 2017, TRT World partnered with Interlat to distribute and transmit their broadcasts in the continents of America and Asia via Globecast.[19] On November 9, 2017, TRT World partnered with Roku allowing it to globally connect to their broadcasts.[20] On April 18, 2019, TRT World partnered with Itflix, making it available to be watched here 24/7 for free.[21] On May 14, 2025, following 2025 India–Pakistan conflict, the X account of TRT World, along with several other news organizations, like Global Times and Xinhua News Agency, was temporarily region-banned by India for allegedly spreading misinformation.[22][23] On May 8, prior to the bans, India issued executive orders to ban 8,000 X accounts from India, threatening to fine and imprison company's local employees if their demands are not met.[24]

Press freedom and neutrality

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In March 2020, the United States Justice Department required TRT World's Washington operation to register as an agent of the Government of Turkey, engaged in political activities, under the anti-propaganda Foreign Agents Registration Act. TRT World's argument that it is independent was rejected by US officials who found and claim that the Turkish government "exercises direction and control of TRT by regulation and oversight, and by controlling its leadership, budget, and content".[8] Apart from some Russian and Chinese networks, other state-funded media including the Qatari-backed Al Jazeera, British-backed BBC News, French-backed France 24 and German-backed Deutsche Welle had not been determined to be foreign-government agents.[25]

In a 2019 op-ed in The Washington Post, MEMRI's executive director Steven Stalinsky described TRT World as "a propaganda arm of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's regime", similar to the Russian RT network. He notes that the channel offered only enthusiastically promotional coverage of the Turkish military's Operation Peace Spring in Syria, while according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, the government banned critical news coverage domestically. Stalinsky urges human rights activists, journalists, and others not to appear on and legitimise the network's shows, just as they would not appear on RT.[15]

Following the 2016 Turkish coup attempt, some journalists who had recently joined the company resigned.[26][27] One of those who resigned said: "I no longer hold out any hope that this channel will become what I wanted it to become (...) After the coup, it became very apparent that the channel had no intention of actually covering it properly, in a professional, international broadcast standard".[18] The managing editor at the time said that he "never received a phone call from Ankara trying to frame the broadcast or give them talking points".[18]

More recently as of March 2020 with the Evros border crisis, TRT World and other Turkish media have in a way, accelerated on producing fake news as alleged by the Greek government, as was also mentioned by Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis in a CNN interview twice,[28] stating that the reports all come from Turkish media and other unknown sources aiming to discredit the Hellenic Coast Guard and Hellenic Armed Forces efforts with propaganda videos. TRT World claimed that Greece sent back refugee vessels to Turkish waters, which was denied by Greece.[29] Conversely, there have been reports by other sources of Greek coastal authorities forcing the refugee vessels back to Turkish side, in a military strategy dubbed "push back".[30]

In May 2025, India briefly blocked the X (formerly Twitter) account of TRT World for spreading misinformation and propaganda related to India’s military operations against Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.[31] The Indian government cited TRT World’s amplification of unverified and manipulated content, including pro-Pakistan narratives, distorted reporting on Kashmir, and dissemination of false claims about Indian military actions. This move was part of a broader crackdown on foreign media outlets accused of violating Indian IT rules and spreading disinformation amid heightened tensions, though TRT World’s website and other social media accounts remained accessible during the ban.[32][33]

Programs

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In addition to those listed below, TRT Global runs various once-off documentaries. Current programmes on the channel are:

  • Africa Matters: Africa Matters, hosted by Adesewa Josh, is TRT World's flagship Africa programme that brings stories from the African continent.[‡ 1]
  • Across The Balkans: Weekly programme hosted by Nafisa Latic, prepared by Zeynep Gizem Ozdemir, featuring interviews with guests from Balkan Region regarding issues related to the region.[‡ 2]
  • Beyond Borders: Monthly documentary show presented by David Foster showcasing real people at the heart of the stories shaping our world.[‡ 3]
  • Beyond the game: Daily sports show.[‡ 4]
  • Money Talks: Daily finance programme hosted by Auskar Surbakti or Ludovica Brignola with in-depth reports and analysis.[‡ 5]
  • Roundtable: Hosted by Enda Brady. Roundtable is a discussion programme where guests debate the news from London.[‡ 6]
  • Showcase: Daily arts and culture show.[34]
  • The Newsmakers: Hosted by Andrea Sanke. The channel's flagship current affairs programme, featuring reports and interviews.[‡ 7]
  • Newsfeed: Daily show hosted by Natasha Hussain, unpacking what stories are big on social media and why they matter.[‡ 8]
  • Compass: Monthly documentary series filmed globally. Compass is an exploration of issues through art, culture and creativity.[‡ 9]
  • Inside America with Ghida Fakhry: Weekly in-depth interviews with American opinion and policy-makers exploring the issues shaping US politics, presented by Ghida Fakhry.[‡ 10]
  • Bigger Than Five: Current affairs program about global issues and international power politics hosted by Ghida Fakhry. Its name derived from Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's saying "The world is bigger than five".[‡ 11]
  • Westminster Watch: Presenter Nick de Bois talks about all the interesting events which happened in Westminster.[‡ 12]
  • Decoded: A show which examines foreign relations of USA and its implications.[‡ 13]
  • The InnerView: A show hosted by Imran Garda that interviews various high-profile personalities.[‡ 14]
  • Strait Talk: Brings audience the much-needed context to stories that are changing the world. It features in depth analyses of global events that are redefining our age. This show is hosted by Ayse Suberker.[‡ 15]

Notable staff

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Awards and nominations

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In 2023 TRT World was awarded an international Emmy for its documentary on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[35]

In 2018 TRT World was nominated in five categories at the Drum Online Media Awards:

  • Social Media Team of the year[36]
  • Technology Leader of the year[36]
  • Breaking News Story of the year[36]
  • App of the year[36]
  • Technical Innovation of the year[36]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Sigismondi, Paolo (25 July 2019). World Entertainment Media: Global, Regional and Local Perspectives. Taylor & Francis. pp. 256–. ISBN 978-1-351-60370-6.
  2. ^ Associated Press (13 January 2023). "Turkey summons Swedish envoy over 'heinous' protest action". Taiwan News. Retrieved 14 July 2024. Turkey has summoned the Swedish ambassador to convey Ankara's displeasure after a mannequin depicting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was hung outside the city hall in Stockholm, state broadcaster TRT reported.
  3. ^ AFP News (3 June 2015). "Erdogan threatens paper over Syrian arms video". Taipei Times. Archived from the original on 15 December 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2024. "The slander against the [Turkish] National Intelligence Organization [MIT] and the illegitimate operation [against MIT trucks] is an espionage activity at one point," Erdogan told state-run TRT television late on Sunday.
  4. ^ Sözeri, Efe Kerem (31 May 2017). "These fake 'fact-checkers' are peddling lies about genocide and censorship in Turkey". Poynter Institute. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2024. Turkey's English-language media outlets, such as public broadcaster TRT World TV and the pro-government newspaper Daily Sabah pursue the same objective — improving Turkey's image abroad— said Koray Kaplıca, also an editor at DogrulukPayi. But in the name of "national interest", these outlets can turn into pure propaganda tools for the ruling party.
  5. ^ Asani, Rose (18 November 2016). "President Erdogan's media mouthpiece aims to woo the west". The Spectator. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  6. ^ McPhail, Thomas L.; Phipps, Steven (11 October 2019). Global Communication: Theories, Stakeholders, and Trends. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-119-52224-9.
  7. ^ a b Srivastava, Mehul; Mance, Henry (11 March 2016). "Turkish TV station aims to switch western views". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2018. "There has [for many years] been a need for a broadcast channel delivering the events to the world from a different perspective, which presents Turkey's own viewpoint," says Ibrahim Eren, head of broadcasting for TRT. [...] In 2015 Reporters without Borders(opens a new window) ranked Turkey 149th in the world for press freedom, behind South Sudan and Palestine.
  8. ^ a b Schaffer, Aaron (19 March 2020). "Justice Department ordered Turkish TV station to register as foreign agent". Al-Monitor. Archived from the original on 22 March 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  9. ^ Roettgers, Janko (22 November 2017). "How Turkey's TRT World Wants to Win Over U.S. Online Video Viewers (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on 7 April 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  10. ^ "2020 World Press Freedom Index". Reporters Without Borders. 30 January 2013. Archived from the original on 1 February 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  11. ^ "TRT World". Hrant Dink Foundation. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  12. ^ "TRT World Where news inspires change". Hotel Management International. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  13. ^ Er, Fatih (4 February 2016). "TRT World is rising". TR Dergesi. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017.
  14. ^ a b Robbins, Elizabeth (31 March 2020). "It Is Time for Al Jazeera to Register Under FARA". Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
  15. ^ a b Stalinsky, Steven (12 November 2019). "This Turkish TV network is Erdogan's propaganda arm. U.S. experts should stop appearing on it". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286.
  16. ^ Albenau, Catalina (15 December 2017). "TRT World is growing in the US and Europe with social video explainers, interactive audio stories and 'fresh TV'". Journalism UK.
  17. ^ Elswah, Mona; Howard, Philip N. (16 July 2021). "Where news could not inspire change: TRT World as a party broadcaster". Journalism (London, England). 23 (10): 2079–2095. doi:10.1177/14648849211033444. ISSN 1741-3001. PMC 9527443. PMID 36204451.
  18. ^ a b c Nissenbraum, Dian (12 April 2016). "After Turkey's Failed Coup, a State-Owned TV Station Tilts". The Wall Street Journal.
  19. ^ "TRT World expands into the Americas and Asia". BroadcastPro ME. 4 June 2017.
  20. ^ Priestley, Jenny (9 November 2017). "TRT World joins Roku". TVB Europe.
  21. ^ Briel, Robert (18 April 2019). "TRT World expands global reach with addition of iflix". BTN News.
  22. ^ "China's Global Times X,TRT World, accounts briefly banned in India for pro-Pak content, now restored". The Economic Times. 15 May 2025.
  23. ^ "Turkish broadcaster's X account briefly blocked in India over misinformation". India Today. 14 May 2025.
  24. ^ "India blocks, then restores China's Global times & Turkey's TRT world on X". Livemint. 14 May 2025. Archived from the original on 15 May 2025.
  25. ^ Schaffer, Aaron (18 March 2020). "Turkey's public broadcaster registers as foreign agent". Al-Monitor. Archived from the original on 22 March 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  26. ^ Ünal, Ali (21 November 2016). "TRT World Ceo İbrahim Eren: We will tell the truth, even if it is inconvenient or disturbing". Daily Sabah. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  27. ^ Scott, Alev (22 August 2016). "Turkish journalists seek refuge abroad post-coup". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 15 April 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  28. ^ "Greek PM to Turkey: 'Stop the provocations, let's start talking' | CNN". CNN. 20 August 2020. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  29. ^ Reynolds, Emma (28 August 2020). "Europe's migrant crisis is worsening during the pandemic. The reaction has been brutal". CNN. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  30. ^ Deshmukh, Vishwajeet; Malhotra, Lubna (24 November 2020). Mahajan, Khushali (ed.). "Migration, Push-Backs and Europe: A Blind Eye to a Refugee Crisis". Jurist. University of Pittsburgh. Archived from the original on 2 December 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  31. ^ "Turkish broadcaster's X account briefly blocked in India over misinformation". India Today. 14 May 2025.
  32. ^ "7 factors that forced India to crack down on Turkey's TRT". Firstpost. 14 May 2025. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  33. ^ "India lifts block on Global Times and TRT World X accounts, Xinhua handle still withheld". Financial Express. 15 May 2025.
  34. ^ "In TRT World's 'Showcase,' arts coverage goes global". Daily Sabah. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  35. ^ "PROGRAMS ON UKRAINE WAR FROM UK & TURKEY WIN INTERNATIONAL EMMYS® FOR NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS". International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on 10 August 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  36. ^ a b c d e "Online Media Awards 2018". The Drum Awards. 31 October 2017. Archived from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2018.

Primary references

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  1. ^ "Africa Matters". TRT Global. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  2. ^ "Across The Balkans". TRT Global. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  3. ^ "Beyond Borders". TRT Global. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  4. ^ "Beyond The Game". TRT Global. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  5. ^ "Money Talks". TRT Global. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  6. ^ "Roundtable". TRT Global. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  7. ^ "The Newsmakers". TRT Global. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  8. ^ "Newsfeed". TRT Global. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  9. ^ "Compass". TRT Global. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  10. ^ "Inside America". TRT Global. Archived from the original on 9 June 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  11. ^ "Bigger than Five". TRT Global. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Westminster Watch". TRT Global. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  13. ^ "Decoded: Al Jazeera vs United States". TRT Global. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  14. ^ "The InnerView". TRT Global. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  15. ^ "Strait Talk". TRT Global. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
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