Citing violations of national values, RTÜK has taken the programmes off air for a period of two weeks due to their violent content.
RTÜK, the Turkish state agency for monitoring, regulating, and sanctioning radio and television broadcasts, has suspended several TV shows, citing violations of national values. The programmes, which include The Genius (Deha), The Savage (Yabani), The Homeless, and The Back Alleys (Arka Sokaklar), will be taken off air for a period of two weeks due to their violent content.
According to sources close to the censorship board, The Back Alleys was struck because it dealt with the subject of marriages between minors, and murders committed by members of a religious sect in a manner that is incompatible with the ideals of the country.
Following the cuts, the Chairman of RTÜK, Abu Bakr Shahin, issued a statement on his social media accounts, stating: “We continue to take strict measures regarding films and series that conflict with our national and spiritual values. As I have stated previously, it is impossible for any broadcaster to bring shame upon our religious, social, and cultural values by giving in to the desire to achieve higher ratings. Tolerating the normalisation of violence in society, particularly violence against women, through publications is something that we cannot condone. We also do not tolerate publications in news programmes that violate the principles of the journalism profession.”
