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whose daily circulation is 1.2 million in Turkey, said it learned on Thursday that Türksat was requesting that the ads not be published.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


Related News

Gulen Schools Fight Provokes New Tensions in Bosnia

RODOLFO TOE Row over schools operated by alleged Turkish coup leader could spark new conflicts and aggravate divisions in Bosnia according to experts. A feud between Bosnian schools connected to Fethullah Gulen, alleged leader of the recent Turkish coup, and Turkish authorities in Ankara could exacerbate rifts within Bosnia, an international relations expert told BIRN. […]

Saudi scholar finds what he has been looking for in Gulen

The prominent Saudi scholar Salman Al-Ouda said : “From this day on, I will refer people from our world to you. Please let them see all these services because we have serious problems in our world. We have a radical Salafi line and an emerging secular one. But we need a moderate attitude which is, I believe, the Hizmet. Please do not neglect it and tell them about the Hizmet. It is of vital importance for us.”

University preparatory courses and the Hizmet movement in Turkey

Most (university) preparatory courses (in Turkey) are run by the Hizmet movement, and it is very clear that the government’s steps to close down such courses, an action against the movement, will negatively affect a great number of people. Many analysts said it is impossible for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which does not have a good relationship with the Hizmet movement, to close down preparatory courses in the run-up to the pre-election period.

Hakan Şükür’s resignation blamed on lack of intra-party democracy

Şükür, a former international football player, left Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling party in protest against the government’s plan to shut down exam preparatory schools, revealing the intra-party divisions below the surface. The resignation came after Şükür objected to the government proposal to close these schools, which help students prepare for university and high school admission exams.

International community’s Erdoğan problem

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has returned to his agenda of political Islamism since the 2011 elections even though he had rejected it in the past, and he quickly set out to implement his plan to purge the Hizmet movement, a plan he had made long ago.

Erdoğan’s house of cards

In a long statement, the Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV), whose honorary chair is Gülen, has called on the government to submit whatever evidence it has on conspiracies, such as those involving a “deep state” and “parallel structures” as well as accusations of “treason,” “espionage” and “collaboration with international powers” against the interests of Turkey. In other words, Gülen is standing firm and not blinking in the face of Erdoğan’s preposterous threats.

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

Kimse Yok Mu delivered aid to Arakan Muslims

Turkish community in Springfield area to host Turkish bazaar, conference

Turkish woman returned to prison with newborn 4 days after birth

The 26th meeting of “Covering Turkey:” the past, present and future of prep schools

Turkish gov’t detains more than 70 women over their alleged financial support for jailed Gülen followers

Kosovo detains Gülen-linked teacher at Turkey’s request

Turkish Extradition Request Could Strain Relations With US

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News