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imc TV, a media outlet focusing on mainly Kurdish question along with subjects such as LGBTI, women issues, and ecology outside the mainstream media has gone off the air after Ankara Chief Public Prosecution has sent a notice to TÜRKSAT demanding the broadcast to be cut off on charge of “propagandizing for Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)-Group of Communities in Kurdistan (KCK)”.
The broadcast has gone off the air by 3:20 p.m., webcasting continues.
“We have cut off the broadcast upon the instruction given by department of marketing” has been said in the statement made by TÜRKSAT at 4 p.m. as to the cut off.
Taking the channel off TÜRKSAT means to take it off all the platforms in which the channel broadcasts.
imc TV Executive Director Defne Asal speaking to bianet, has said they themselves also don’t know what is happening now and investigating it.
The Gülen movement is a transnational religious and social movement led by Turkish Islamic scholar and preacher Fethullah Gülen. The group is currently accused of attempting to overthrow the democratically elected Turkish government through a judicial coup in December 2013. It is accused of engaging in illegal wiretapping, blackmail and issuing threats. Investigations into the group are continuing. |
“It has gone off the air out of blue. We haven’t understood why. There is no notice referred to us yet. We’ve in fact learned
prosecution’s decision from the news. We are face to face with an unlawful situation. The prosecution doesn’t have right to demand that. Political pressure is being imposed on TÜRKSAT which is a commercial institute”.
imc TV started to broadcast on May 1, 2011.
Channels taken off TÜRKSAT
Ankara Chief Public Prosecution had referred a notice to TÜRKSAT and Digitürk to take off the channels allegedly affiliated with Gülen Movement within the scope of parallel state investigation.
TV and radio channels such as Samanyolu TV, S Haber, Kanaltürk, Mehtap TV, Bugün TV, Yumurcak TV, Irmak TV and Burç FM were taken off those platfroms. (NV/TK)