Türksat removes Zaman, 3 others from ad list


Date posted: February 13, 2014

İSTANBUL

The Turkish Satellite Communications Company (Türksat) has removed Turkey’s best-selling Zaman and three other dailies from its advertisement list in a sudden decision.

Türksat had contracted to have advertisements for the new Türksat 4-A satellite published in 12 different Turkish dailies, including Zaman.

Zaman, whose daily circulation is 1.2 million in Turkey, said it learned on Thursday that Türksat was requesting that the ads not be published. Türksat officials were unavailable to comment on the issue. The company’s general manager, Özkan Dalbay, is currently in Kazakhstan.

Türksat will launch its Türksat-4A satellite from the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan on Friday. The satellite is designed to offer telecommunication and TV broadcasting services throughout Turkey, as well as in Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Türksat withdrew its ads from three other dailies as well: Bugün, Taraf and Radikal, all of which have published articles that criticized the government’s efforts to cover up an ongoing investigation into alleged corruption claims.

The Zaman advertising department has said that it learned that the ads will instead be featured in Yeni Akit, a pro-government paper.

Other public entities have also cancelled their advertisement contracts with dailies critical of the government in an apparent solidarity with the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government, which is now enmeshed in a number of corruption and bribery allegations. Erdoğan earlier said: “Those who have acted with international conspirators to take down his government will pay for it.” Erdoğan has accused the Gülen movement, affiliated with Zaman, of being in league with an international conspiracy seeking to topple his government.

The state-run construction firms Emlak Konut GYO, the Housing Development Administration of Turkey (TOKİ) and the Privatization Administration (ÖİB) have also recently removed Zaman from their advertising plans.

The government has also exploited inspection mechanisms and bureaucratic procedures to put pressure on political dissent. A number of private companies seen as affiliated with the opposition have recently been slapped with fines and audits and other tools at the government’s disposal.

Source: Todays Zaman , February 13, 2014

Tags: | | | | |


Related News

When nations spy on their nationals on foreign soil

The targeted Turks have lived in Nigeria for decades, with very high investments profile in the education, health and social sectors of the economy. They are involved in legitimate businesses duly registered and regulated by relevant agencies of government.

The cleric next door: Pocono neighbors weigh in on Fethullah Gülen, the man Turkey wants back

“People fear what they don’t know,” said Howard A. Beers Jr., the chairman of the Ross Township Board of Supervisors, the municipal government that oversees Saylorsburg. “I can tell you directly that these are the nicest people,” Beers said last week after a township meeting at which building inspection fees and a squabble over a local bar were major points of concern. “There’s nothing to fear.”

Already feeling unsafe in Turkey

Erdogan’s honor overrode freedom of speech in Turkey and Mahir got deported because of a simple allegation — that he’d posted critical tweets that targeted Turkey. No, no — I mean Erdoğan’s Turkey.

Say What? Ankara Mayor Blames Gulenists for Shaking Turkey With an Earthquake

No joke: Ankara’s mayor suggests that an earthquake that has recently hit Turkey’s northwest might have been caused by the followers of cleric Fethulah Gulen.

Bank Asya says it weathers ‘stress test’, still strong

Turkish media say state-owned companies and institutional depositors loyal to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have withdrawn TL 4 billion ($1.79 billion), some 20 percent of the bank’s total deposits, over the last month to try to sink the lender. The government has declined to comment. Bank Asya’s chief executive Ahmet Beyaz said the bank’s founders included sympathizers of cleric Fethullah Gülen, who officials say is behind the corruption investigation posing one of the biggest challenges to Erdoğan’s 11-year rule. But he said the bank was not at risk.

Turkish people upset that democratic progress is being reversed: Islamic scholar Gülen

The Turkish people are upset that democratic progress has gone into reverse over the last two years, Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has said, speaking in his first interview since the graft probes that have damaged the government and widened the rift between his movement and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

Belgium court sentences man to 6-month in prison over online threats targeting Gülen followers

Erdogan Purge Against Gulenists Could Prove Lucrative

Fethullah Gülen’s Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Terror Attack in Vienna

AK Party Deputy Hakan Şükür resigns due to hostile moves against Hizmet movement

8.5-month pregnant woman under arrest though baby faces heart, kidney problems

Fethullah Gulen talks to major international media on Turkey coup attempt

Turkey’s STV opens Washington studio, first among Turkish TV networks

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News