US TV host Jay Leno tweets over dismissed Turkish presenter after low-cut dress crisis

ISTANBUL

Turkish TV presenter Gözde Kansuhas been dismissed from a TV show after a government official criticized her low-cut dress. Hürriyet photo

Famed comedian and television host Jay Leno has posted a tweet about Turkish TV presenter Gözde Kansu's dismissal from a TV show after a government official criticized her low-cut dress.
 
"The Turkish government ordered a TV show host to be fired because she showed too much cleavage. The good news: She's been hired by Fox News!" Leno wrote, needling Fox News which faces criticism due to its broadcasting policy in the country.
 
The company that produces the show dismissed the presenter after ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesperson Hüseyin Çelik criticized Kansu’s costume during a TV program. While refraining from giving a name, Çelik said he found the dress “extreme” because of its open cleavage. He defended his right to express an opinion and described the discussion on the issue as “ill-intended.”
 
Later, the company released a statement to explain why it no longer wanted to work with Kansu, saying her manner of presentation and style were not in line with the show’s aims.
 
Gözde Kansu objected to the show producer’s claim that they had parted ways because of “her way of presentation and style." She said her firing was political, as nobody at her station was “willing to stand against the political will.”
 
“Look, if they didn’t like my performance they would tell me, right? They are investing a lot of money in this business. But they didn’t tell me anything. When [Hüseyin] Çelik talked, things changed,” Kansu said, insisting that her presenting had previously been praised and encouraged by the producers. “This is only the excuse. The ratings were not bad. But nobody wanted to act contrary to the political will that slammed my décolleté. This is obvious,” she said.