Kurdish action series dropped from Turkish TV
Source: Reuters
ISTANBUL, Feb 16 (Reuters) - A Turkish television channel has dropped a popular action series depicting Kurdish separatist violence over concerns that it could fan nationalism. Violent nationalism, especially among impressionable young people, has become especially sensitive in Turkey since the murder last month of Turkish Armenian editor Hrant Dink by a teenage gunman apparently motivated by ultra-nationalist ideas. The action-packed "Valley of the Wolves" has been hugely popular both as a television series and a movie, but the latest series, "Valley of the Wolves -- Terror", was controversial for its graphic scenes of violence by the Kurdish separatists. Turkish nationalists are strongly opposed to Kurdish separatist rebels who have been fighting for an ethnic homeland in southeastern Turkey since 1984 in a conflict that has claimed more than 30,000 lives. The production company, Pana Film, said the broadcaster, Show TV, had been told to pull the series or lose its licence. But an official at the regulator, RTUK, said that although more than 13,000 complaints had been received, the decision to stop broadcasting had come from Show TV. Earlier this week Turkey's leading newspaper, Hurriyet, said regulators had met the head of Show TV to express concerns that the series could provoke more potential killers like Dink's 17-year-old assassin, Ogun Samast. An official at Show TV declined to comment.
| AlertNet news is provided by |  |
