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Turkish broadcasting watchdog RTUK on Thursday banned the broadcast of the popular TV series “Kizil Goncalar” (Purple Buds) for two weeks, a member of its board of directors said, because it is contrary to the “national and religious values of society. “
Ilhan Tasci, a member of RTUK’s board of directors representing the main opposition, told social media platform X that the regulator had imposed a 3% administrative fine on Fox TV, which is owned by Fox Networks Group, a unit of Walt Disney Co.
“Kizil Goncalar”, which highlights the divide between the devout and secular segments of society, faced swift backlash after it first aired on December 18, even though its first two episodes topped the ratings and were watched the most. 10 million times on YouTube.
RTUK has criminalised the displays for what it said were violations of Turkey’s ethical values, family structure or other issues it considers unethical, namely LGBTQ rights. His detractors and opposition parties have accused him of restricting freedoms.
The show’s producer, Faruk Turgut, said the series reflects Turkey’s sociological truth, depicting the clash between secular and societal segments.
“I try to be a mirror of the realities of Turkish society. The realities want to be discussed, we cannot move forward by ignoring them,” Turgut quoted the Hurriyet newspaper as saying.
“They have declared war on us, we will fight to the end. “
Ebubekir Sahin, chairman of RTUK and a member of President Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK party, wrote in X that the outraged audience had called for the exhibition to be cancelled and that his posters on billboards in Istanbul had been smashed with black paint.
Pro-government media accused the series of being Islamophobic, leading to the cancellation of filming permits for upcoming episodes.
The Ismailaga Brotherhood, a prominent sect in Turkey, has harshly criticized the series.
“Today’s media productions that target our faith and pious Americans with the aim of denigrating the names of Allah, our noble book the Quran, non-secular institutions such as sects and orders, are surely unacceptable,” the sect said in X.
Tasci said that “the RTUK has bowed to cults and sects”.