TRT 2
TRT 2 is Turkey’s public free-to-air television channel dedicated primarily to culture, arts, education, cinema, documentaries and discussion programming.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
TRT 2 is a Turkish public television channel operated by the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, commonly known as TRT. It was created as TRT’s second television service and began test transmissions in September 1986 under the names 2. Kanal and TV2. The channel was conceived as a complement to TRT’s principal television service, with an emphasis on culture, education and programming intended to broaden viewers’ knowledge and engagement with the arts. The decision to establish a second channel was taken by the TRT Board of Directors on January 15, 1985. The service was initially planned to launch later in 1986 with a limited evening schedule. Unlike the first TRT channel, whose operations were centered in Ankara, the new service initially transmitted from Istanbul, while content was also supplied by TRT offices in Ankara and Izmir. Satellite distribution expanded its reach during the channel’s first year. By 1991, TRT 2 was available to approximately 97 percent of Turkey’s population and was broadcasting around 150 hours each week. The channel moved its operational base to Ankara in 1997. TRT 2’s editorial identity changed over time. On February 1, 2001, it adopted a broader schedule that combined education, documentaries, cultural and artistic programs, debates, news, economic coverage, sport, music, drama, cinema and children’s content. During parts of the 1990s and 2000s, the channel also carried substantial news output, including regular bulletins, current-affairs analysis, local and economic news, health features and sports coverage. Before the creation of TRT Haber, TRT 2 served as an important daytime news outlet within the TRT network, while retaining cultural programming in prime time. It also carried internationally known television series and other imported programming, alongside Turkish productions. TRT 2 ceased operating in its earlier form in 2010, when TRT Haber was launched as TRT’s dedicated news channel and took over much of the news-oriented role associated with TRT 2. The channel name returned after TRT General Manager İbrahim Eren announced plans in January 2018 to revive it as a cultural and artistic service. The relaunch followed the establishment of TRT Haber as a separate 24-hour news channel and took place on February 22, 2019. In the new format, TRT 2 replaced the educational channel TRT Okul in the TRT lineup and was designed partly to reach younger audiences who had shifted away from conventional linear television. The current TRT 2 identity centers on culture and the arts. Its programming mix includes film criticism and interviews, subtitled international cinema, selected Turkish films, documentaries, cultural-news programs, literary and intellectual discussions, classical and traditional music, ballet, opera and other performance arts. Examples associated with the channel include Cinema 7, From World Cinemas, Sinemasal, Rengahenk and European Vision. TRT 2 operates as a free-to-air Turkish public-service channel and is also represented through its official digital presence. Its role within the TRT portfolio is distinct from general-entertainment channel TRT 1 and news channel TRT Haber: it functions as a specialist cultural broadcaster with an educational and public-service orientation.
History
TRT’s decision to establish a second television channel was adopted by its Board of Directors on January 15, 1985. The proposed service was intended to expand the public broadcaster’s reach and provide programming with a stronger cultural and educational emphasis than the existing channel. TRT announced a planned 1986 launch with evening broadcasts, initially scheduled to run from approximately 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Test transmissions began on September 15, 1986, using the names 2. Kanal and TV2. The service was initially associated with Istanbul, distinguishing it from TRT’s first channel, which operated from Ankara. Programming was also supplied by TRT production offices in Ankara and Izmir. Satellite distribution was introduced during 1986, helping the new service develop nationwide reach. By 1991, the channel was reported to reach about 97 percent of Turkey’s population and to broadcast roughly 150 hours per week. Its operational base moved to Ankara in 1997. TRT 2’s schedule developed beyond its original high-culture brief. On February 1, 2001, a revised format added or expanded education, documentaries, cultural affairs, arts coverage, debate, news, economic reporting, sport, music, drama, cinema and children’s programs. The channel also became known for showing international television series and other foreign programs to Turkish viewers. From 1989 to 2001, TRT Gap was carried on TRT 2 before moving to TRT 3. After this transition and a wider restructuring of TRT’s channel identities, TRT 2 broadcast around the clock and combined daytime news output with cultural programming during the evening. Before TRT Haber was established as a separate news channel, TRT 2 carried a significant amount of news and current affairs. Its output included hourly bulletins, local and economic news, sports, health advice, analysis and discussion programs, as well as simulcasts of major TRT 1 news bulletins. This arrangement gave TRT 2 a hybrid identity: it was both a news outlet during substantial parts of the day and a cultural channel in prime time. The earlier service ended in 2010 when TRT Haber took over the dedicated news role within the TRT network. TRT 2 was subsequently absent from the air for nearly nine years. In January 2018, TRT General Manager İbrahim Eren announced that the name would be revived with a new cultural and arts-oriented concept. The relaunch occurred on February 22, 2019, after TRT Haber had become a distinct 24-hour news channel. The returned TRT 2 replaced TRT Okul in the lineup and was designed to serve cultural, educational and artistic needs while also engaging younger viewers increasingly attracted to digital media. The current service presents documentaries, cinema, film criticism, interviews, cultural news, discussion programs, music, opera, ballet, concerts and educational content. Its role is complementary to TRT’s general-entertainment, news and regional services. TRT 2 remains a free-to-air public television brand focused on cultural access and the presentation of Turkish and international artistic work.
- 2019
TRT 2 relaunches
[1]The channel returned on February 22 as a specialist cultural and artistic service, replacing TRT Okul in the lineup.
- 2018
Revival announced
[1]TRT announced plans to bring back TRT 2 with a renewed focus on culture and the arts.
- 2010
Original TRT 2 service ends
[1]The original channel was replaced within the TRT portfolio as TRT Haber became the broadcaster’s dedicated news service.
- 2001
Schedule and format broaden
[1]A February format change expanded the channel’s mix to include education, culture, arts, documentaries, news, sport, music, drama, cinema and children’s programming.
- 1997
Operations move to Ankara
[1]The channel moved its operational base from Istanbul to Ankara.
- 1991
Nationwide reach expands
[1]TRT 2 was reported to reach approximately 97 percent of Turkey’s population and to broadcast about 150 hours per week.
- 1986
Test transmissions begin
[1]The new service began test transmissions on September 15 under the names 2. Kanal and TV2, followed by satellite distribution during the same year.
- 1985
TRT approves creation of a second television channel
[1]The TRT Board of Directors approved the establishment of a second channel intended to provide broader cultural and educational programming.
Products and positioning
A Turkish public-service cultural and arts broadcaster offering specialist programming in cinema, documentaries, music, education, debate and the wider cultural sphere.
Television broadcasting · 1986
TRT 2 linear television channel
The core TRT 2 offering is a Turkish free-to-air television channel operating within the public TRT network. Its schedule is centered on culture and the arts, supplemented by education, documentaries, cinema, current-affairs discussion and music performances. The channel broadcasts continuously, with its output designed to provide specialist public-service content rather than a general commercial-entertainment format.
Cinema
Cinema and film programming
TRT 2’s cinema output includes film-news coverage, director interviews, film criticism, selected Turkish cinema and subtitled films from around the world. Programs such as Cinema 7, From World Cinemas and Sinemasal give the channel a specialist role in introducing viewers to contemporary releases, international film and more art-oriented Turkish productions.
Cultural programming
Culture, arts and documentary programming
This programming area covers documentaries, cultural reporting, interviews, debate and analysis related to literature, visual arts, history, music and social life. Rengahenk provides cultural and arts news, while documentary acquisitions and TRT productions broaden the channel’s educational and public-service remit.
Music and performing arts
Music and performing arts broadcasts
TRT 2 presents classical music concerts, Turkish folk and classical music, world music, opera and ballet. These broadcasts extend the channel’s cultural mission beyond studio discussion and recorded documentaries by giving television audiences access to live or recorded performance programming.
Brand decisions
2019
Cultural and arts relaunchProduct launchBackground
TRT sought to revive the TRT 2 name after the channel’s earlier replacement by TRT Haber and to serve viewers seeking cultural content, including younger audiences moving away from linear television.
Action taken
TRT relaunched TRT 2 on February 22 as a dedicated channel for culture, education, arts, documentaries, cinema and talk shows. The service replaced TRT Okul in the channel lineup.
Aftermath
TRT 2 resumed an active role as the network’s specialist cultural and artistic broadcaster, separate from TRT Haber’s news remit.
2010
Replacement by TRT HaberStrategyBackground
TRT reorganized its television portfolio and prepared a dedicated channel for continuous news coverage.
Action taken
The original TRT 2 service was taken off air and its news-oriented role was transferred to TRT Haber.
Aftermath
TRT 2 remained absent for nearly nine years while TRT Haber operated as the network’s dedicated news outlet.
2001
Broadening of the channel formatStrategyBackground
TRT 2 had developed from a culturally oriented second channel into a service carrying a mixture of education, news, culture, entertainment and public-affairs content.
Action taken
On February 1, TRT introduced a broader schedule incorporating education, documentaries, arts and culture, debates, news, economics, sports, music, drama, cinema and children’s programming.
Aftermath
The channel continued to combine substantial daytime news coverage with cultural and arts programming, especially during prime time.
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