Dogan fail to settle on record tax fine

Talks between Turkey’s largest media company, Dogan Yayin, and tax officials over a 4.8 billion lira ($3.2 billion) fine failed to produce a settlement, the company said on Wednesday.

The lack of a deal plunges the dispute over the fine, the largest in Turkey’s history, back into uncertainty, threatening the future of Dogan Yayin which said it would continue its legal battle against the fines.

European Union governments are following the case.

Diplomats have said the prospect of a media critic being fined into extinction would reflect poorly on Turkey’s Islamist-rooted government when it is bidding to become a member of the EU.

‘There has been no settlement reached by Dogan Yayin or its units with the Finance Ministry’s tax authority. As we have previously said … we will continue with the legal process against the tax fine in the case that no settlement is reached,’ Dogan Yayin said in a statement.