The Turkish Interior Ministry’s Civil Society Relations Directorate General announced that it launched an audit for non-governmental organisations and media organs, in a press release on Friday.
Some NGOs have violated the Associations Act, and failed to abide by tax regulations, the directorate said, announcing the ministry’s request for legal action against executives in several associations.
The audits were triggered by a Chrest Foundation document announcing donations to various organisations, the directorate said.
The Diyarbakır Political and Social Research Institute Association, Economy and Foreign Policy Research Centre Association, Civil Society and Media Studies Association, Free Thoughts Association, Punto24 Independent Journalism Association, Democracy Peace and Alternative Policies Research Association, Public Policy and Democracy Studies Association, International Middle East Peace Research Centre Association, Turkey Women Entrepreneurs Association, Truth Justice and Memory Studies Association, and Centre for Spatial Justice are the organisations that have received more than $2 million from the Texas-based foundation, the directorate said.
In July, Turkey’s Presidential Communications Directorate announced upcoming regulations on foreign funding of media outlets, in a move it said targeted fake news and disinformation.
Such measures would “further undermine media freedom and pluralism in the country”, International Press Institute said at the time.
Turkey ranks 154th out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) 2020 press freedom index. More than 90 percent of Turkish media, including all major television networks, is either under direct government control or owned by businessmen with close ties to it.
Ahval