Turkish parliamentary commission plans to summon Netflix

ANKARA

A Turkish parliamentary commission has announced plans to invite Netflix representatives to Ankara for a forthcoming dialogue concerning the platform's content, the head of the body on the digital platforms has announced.

Türkiye ranks among the top 10 countries with the highest number of subscribers on Netflix, Hüseyin Yayman said in an interview with the private broadcaster CNN Türk late on Oct. 1.

He hinted that the discussion will center on the platform's compliance with Turkish laws, following a similar engagement with TikTok.

Turkish lawmakers previously convened with TikTok officials to address concerns over the proliferation of "obscene" content, prompting the platform to commit to removing material deemed incongruous with Turkish moral values.

Recently, Yayman also engaged with Netflix officials regarding a series that distorted Türkiye’s 1974 Peace Operation on the island of Cyprus, portraying it as an occupation, according to an official statement from Ankara.

After negotiations with Turkish authorities, Netflix agreed to limit the series' availability to its Greek catalog, while restricting its airing in Türkiye and all other countries.

In the interview, Yayman emphasized that digitalization and the content consumed are not merely tools of entertainment but exert a profound influence on the fabric of society in the long term.

“The issue of digitalization cannot be relegated solely to politics or governance. As a government, we oppose censorship and prohibitions. On the one hand, we must uphold individual liberties, but on the other, we must safeguard public order and the sanctity of the family unit.”

“As a government, we stand against censorship, recognizing that prohibitions are not a solution. We must educate and protect the individual.”