Iranian officials failing to stop of Turkish TV series

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

‘Ezel’ is one of the most popular Turkish TV series in Iran despite the ban. Hürriyet photo.

Attempts by the Iranian government to thwart its citizens from watching a number of highly popular Turkish TV series on a new British channel are proving unsuccessful, according to reports.

Iranian police have long attempted to prevent people from using satellites to watch foreign programs – often without success – since the passage of a 1994 law banning the production, sale and assembling of satellite dishes in Iran. Many Iranians, however, have continued to use illegal satellites to follow their favorite Turkish shows, such as “Aşkı-I Memnu” (Forbidden Love) and “Ezel,” as well as their favorite Turkish stars, including Kenan İmirzalıoğlu, Beren Saat and Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ, according to Doğan news agency (DHA).

Britain’s Gem Classic TV channel recently obtained a publication permit in the United Kingdom and began broadcasting Turkish series into Iran with Persian subtitles, generating huge interest. The attention also convinced the company to begin a music channel airing Western pop music videos.

Previously many Iranians were only able to watch Turkish series dubbed into Arabic via the Dubai-based MBC channel.

Many Iranians are known to conceal satellites inside air-conditioning units in front of their homes or disguise them as birdbaths