European Commission to examine tax fine on Turkey's Dogan Group

Belgian MEP Frank Vanhecke submitted a motion to the commission regarding the tax fine on Dogan Group, the daily reported.    Â

The European Commission said the issue would be examined and a response would be given to the motion, it added.Â

"Has the Commission investigated this important issue and obtained the outcomes that should be reached? Have freedom of expression and freedom of press been violated in this incident?" Vanhecke asked in the motion.

Dogan Media Group (DMG) was fined around $500 million in tax penalties over claims it had not fulfilled its liabilities on time during the sale of 25 percent of Doğan TV to Axel Springer for 375 million euros. Turkey's leading press association has said the move was aimed at silencing critical reporting.

Dogan, which owns top selling dailies, including Hurriyet, a news agency and broadcasters, has been the target of harsh criticism from Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, who has called on supporters not to buy the group's newspapers after they ran stories alleging government corruption.