Turkey’s media watchdog fines TV series over ‘adultery’

ISTANBUL

Turkey’s top media watchdog has fined the TV series “Koca Koca Yalanlar” due to the way the popular series narrates the story of a man who is cheating on his wife.

At a meeting, the Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTÜK) discussed TV programs that “adversely harm family values.”

The board concluded that “Koca Koca Yalanlar [Big Lies]” portrays spouses cheating on each other as “normal behavior.”

The scenes and dialogues related to the subject in the TV series are harmful to the Turkish family structure and social values, RTÜK said, deciding to impose an administrative fine on Kanal D, the TV channel that airs the show.

The amount of the fine was not disclosed.

“Koca Koca Yalanlar” is about a husband, wife and their three children who had a quiet and regular life until the man met a young woman.

Their marriage started falling apart after the man started cheating on his wife.

The wife launches a battle to win her marriage back with the help of her close friends.

At the same meeting, RTÜK also fined TV channel AS TV for broadcasting a music video that allegedly features “homoerotic dance moves.”

“The music video in question can have adverse impacts on children and youth,” the watchdog ruled.