The Turkish press is diverse, vigorous and largely privately owned, but political debate is subject to censorship laws dating back to the 1980 military coup. Espousing the Kurdish cause is banned. Although Islam is the dominant religion, the media is not subject to the moral censorship found in the Gulf states. Almost all Istanbul newspapers are printed in Ankara and Izmir on the same day. Four have circulations of over 300,000 copies.
As an addition to programing offered by the state-owned Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, many Turks are now buying satellite dishes to receive foreign broadcasts.
