Two Turkish broadcasters probed for ‘terrorism propaganda’

ISTANBUL

The Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into two private broadcasters recently removed from Turkey’s leading broadband provider.

The probe was launched into private broadcasters Samanyolu Haber and Mehtap TV on charges of “making terrorism propaganda,” upon a criminal complaint filed by an unnamed individual, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Oct. 16.

Both were recently removed from Digitürk, Turkey’s leading satellite broadband service provider, along with five other Turkish broadcasters: Kanaltürk, S Haber, Bugün TV, Yumurcak TV (a cartoon) and Irmak TV.

The investigation is reported to be headed by the department under the prosecutor’s office that deals with organizational trafficking and financial crimes.

Broadcasts of both companies are reportedly being examined within the investigation.

The move comes less than a month after Digitürk unlawfully removed the seven broadcasters from TV stations it offered to its viewers, without a court ruling that must be issued to give such a move legal grounds.

The seven broadcasters are considered to have links to the U.S.-based Islamic cleric Fetullah Gülen.

Turkey has seen large numbers of cases filed against a so-called terror organization, which President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his inner circle have long called the “Fetullahist Terrorist Organization (FTÖ). It is accused of attempting to topple Justice and Development Party (AKP) governments with its members working as “insiders” in the judiciary, the police and other state organizations in Turkey.