The US Justice Department ordered the US branch office of Turkish public broadcaster TRT to register as a foreign agent last year, Al-Monitor has learned, a step TRT only took earlier this month.

In an Aug. 1, 2019 letter obtained by Al-Monitor, the Justice Department concluded that TRT — the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation — is engaged in “political activities” and acts as a “publicity agent” and as an “information-service employee” on behalf of the Turkish government. US officials rejected TRT's argument that it is financially and editorially independent, concluding instead that Ankara “exercises direction and control of TRT by regulation and oversight, and by controlling its leadership, budget, and content.”

In particular, the letter points to TRT's own general broadcasting principles, which require it to “[c]omply with the State's national security politics, national and economic interest requirements.” The registration, the Justice Department letter points out, is not meant to interfere with TRT's content in any way but to ensure that media outlets that purchase its programming, social media outlets that post it and American viewers are “fully informed regarding the foreign influence behind the content.” 

A spokesman for the Justice Department made it clear the outlet had little choice but to comply. “If an entity declines to register after receiving a determination letter, we would go to court to obtain an injunction compelling them to register,” he told Al-Monitor.