RTÜK blocks broadcast of famous Turkish series and mandates airing of Islamophobia documentary instead

Turkey's media watchdog RTÜK has blocked the broadcast of the famous series “Kızılcık Şerbeti" (Cranberry Sherbet in English) for five weeks. On April 14, the media watchdog mandated the TV channel to air a documentary about Islamophobia instead of the series that is about the conflicts between a secular and conservative family.

Saturday April 15 2023 01:53 pm

Duvar English

The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) on April 7 banned the broadcast of the famous Turkish series “Kızılcık Şerbeti" (Cranberry Sherbet in English) for five weeks over a scene of violence against a woman character.

And on the same day, a court issued a stay of execution regarding the broadcast ban after the objection of the Show TV channel. Nonetheless, the Ankara Administrative Court overturned this decision on April 14.

During the summary of the series on April 14, the broadcast was interrupted and a documentary about Islamophobia started to be broadcast due to the RTÜK's penalty.

The documentary included statements by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan such as "The virus of Islamophobia is as dangerous as the coronavirus" and "This virus is spreading rapidly, especially in European countries."

The TV series centers around two families with opposing lifestyles and the challenges they face when trying to reconcile their differences. The show depicts the struggle that arises when children from secular and conservative families decide to get married and clash over their differing beliefs. The plot especially centers on the difficulties of the secular family adapting to the Islamic way of socialization such as the usage of alcohol.

Actors of the TV series on social media reacted against the ban of the TV series. They stated that the scene regarding the violence against the woman character depicts social realities.